Lead Scheduler

About the role

The Lead Scheduler serves as the primary scheduling and planning authority for complex commercial construction projects on behalf of project owners. This role is responsible for developing, maintaining, analyzing, and reporting integrated project schedules throughout the project lifecycle, from planning and design through procurement, construction, commissioning, and closeout. The Lead Scheduler collaborates closely with owners, project managers, design consultants, contractors, and other stakeholders to establish realistic timelines, identify schedule risks, evaluate recovery strategies, and provide objective schedule oversight that supports successful project delivery. The position also leads scheduling best practices, mentors scheduling professionals, and drives continuous improvement across the organization.

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and manage integrated master project schedules encompassing full scope, key milestones, constraints, and objectives using Critical Path Methodology (CPM) and industry best practices.
• Establish Work Breakdown Structures (WBS) that define scope, accountability, and ownership across all project activities.
• Align schedules with project execution plans, contracting strategies, procurement plans, commissioning requirements, and overall project controls procedures.
• Establish schedule baselines and maintain formal processes for updates, revisions, and change management.
• Structure schedules to support reporting and analysis at varying levels of detail, from executive summaries to detailed task‑level reviews.
• Perform critical path, float, schedule health assessments, and forecasting; monitor performance against baselines and identify delays, risks, and recovery opportunities.
• Prepare and present schedule reports, dashboards, and executive‑level updates to stakeholders.
• Evaluate schedule impacts from scope changes, procurement issues, unforeseen conditions, and other challenges; develop recovery and mitigation strategies in collaboration with project teams.
• Facilitate Interactive Planning, Last Planner®, and Pull Planning sessions with owners, architects, engineers, contractors, vendors, and commissioning teams.
• Negotiate and mediate schedule interfaces, milestones, and dependencies across multiple stakeholders; support resource‑loaded scheduling as required.
• Support project risk management through schedule risk analysis, quantitative risk assessment, and contingency recommendations.
• Conduct independent reviews of contractor, consultant, and vendor schedules to verify compliance with contractual requirements and industry best practices; identify deficiencies, logic issues, resource constraints, and unrealistic assumptions.
• Develop, maintain, and continuously improve scheduling standards, procedures, and best practices; promote consistency across projects and teams.
• Lead and mentor scheduling professionals and project controls personnel; foster a culture of accountability, technical excellence, quality, and continuous improvement.
• Provide coaching, professional development, and business development support through schedule reviews, proposal assistance, and client presentations.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Project Management, Architecture, or related discipline; equivalent professional experience may be considered.
• 8+ years of construction scheduling and project controls experience, preferably representing owners, program managers, or construction consultants.
• Advanced experience developing and managing CPM schedules for commercial construction projects.
• Proficiency with Primavera P6 scheduling software.
• Understanding of project delivery methods including Design‑Bid‑Build, Design‑Build, CMAR, and Integrated Project Delivery.
• Experience facilitating collaborative planning sessions and stakeholder coordination meetings.
• Excellent analytical, communication, presentation, and problem‑solving skills.
• Highly organized, detail‑oriented, and quality‑focused.

Skills

• Critical Path Methodology (CPM) scheduling and analysis
• Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) development
• Schedule risk analysis and quantitative risk assessment (QRA)
• Interactive Planning, Last Planner®, and Pull Planning facilitation
• Schedule recovery and mitigation strategy development
• Schedule review and quality assurance of external schedules
• Leadership, mentoring, and team development
• Business development support through schedule reviews and proposal preparation

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions

Indoor office environment; may require work on‑site when necessary. Equipment includes computers and standard office machines. Essential physical tasks include working on a computer and answering or speaking on a telephone.