Position Overview:The Chief Scheduler is a corporate resource responsible for managing the strategic oversight of project scheduling across Higley Construction. Reporting to the Director of Project Controls, this role develops, reviews, and provides quality control for project schedules throughout the company. The Chief Scheduler partners with project teams and company leadership to identify schedule and constructability risks, improve scheduling practices, enhance enterprise visibility into project performance, and promote consistent scheduling standards across the organization. This position requires deep expertise in Critical Path Method (CPM) scheduling and the ability to translate complex schedule information into clear, practical guidance for project teams.
Responsibilities:- Accountable for the corporate scheduling oversight for all projects across Higley Construction.
- Perform and oversee schedule impact analyses to evaluate potential and realized impacts from changes, delays, disruptions, sequencing revisions, and project events, providing recommendations for mitigation and recovery, and generating documentation for delay claims.
- Review and perform quality control of project schedules company-wide to confirm accuracy, logic, sequencing, completeness, and compliance with company standards and contract requirements.
- Evaluate project schedules, construction drawings, specifications, and project information to identify schedule risks, sequencing concerns, constraints, and potential impacts to project delivery.
- Perform critical path and schedule variance analyses to identify risks, trends, and schedule impacts, and recommend improvement strategies to project teams and leadership.
- Develop standards for and oversee resource- and cost-loaded schedules to support Earned Value Management (EVM), where required, and strengthen performance measurement, forecasting, resource utilization, and project controls reporting across the company.
- Lead implementation of the Last Planner® System where required on projects and integrate collaborative planning practices with Critical Path Method (CPM) scheduling to improve project predictability, coordination, and execution across projects.
- Train project teams and scheduling personnel on CPM scheduling principles, schedule development, schedule quality, schedule impact analysis, and the effective use of project schedules to enhance planning, forecasting, communication, decision-making, and schedule ownership across the organization.
- Establish and reinforce scheduling standards, procedures, best practices, and quality-control expectations across the company.
- Support staffing and resource planning for scheduling needs across the company.
- Visit project sites to validate progress, understand field conditions, and coordinate with project teams.
- Develop and oversee enterprise-wide scheduling reporting that provide executive leadership and project teams with visibility into portfolio performance, schedule trends, risks, forecasted impacts, and recommended actions.
- Lead continuous improvement initiatives for scheduling processes, tools, systems, governance, and organizational scheduling maturity to enhance schedule quality, project team engagement, executive visibility, and consistency across the organization.
- Perform other related duties as assigned.
Skills and Abilities:- Expert-level knowledge of Critical Path Method scheduling theory, schedule logic, sequencing, float analysis, and schedule risk identification.
- Knowledge of Lean Construction principles and the Last Planner® System, including experience integrating collaborative planning practices with CPM scheduling to improve project predictability and execution.
- Advanced ability to develop, evaluate, and quality-control schedules for large, complex commercial construction projects.
- Strong knowledge of construction plans, specifications, means and methods, sequencing, and project controls-related contract requirements.
- Experience with resource loading and cost loading, including the ability to evaluate loading assumptions and schedule impacts.
- Advanced proficiency with Primavera P6 is preferred; experience with other construction scheduling platforms will be considered.
- Ability to identify schedule deficiencies, explain their project impact, and recommend practical corrective actions.
- Ability to teach complex scheduling concepts in a clear, approachable manner and build scheduling capability across project teams.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, organizational, and decision-making skills.
- Excellent professional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with field teams, project leadership, clients, and senior leadership.
- Ability to manage competing priorities and support multiple projects and offices in a corporate environment.
- A self-starter who demonstrates commitment, accountability, sound judgment, and a focus on continuous improvement and excellence.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Outlook, Excel, and Word.
Qualifications:- Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Construction Technology, or a closely related field is preferred; equivalent relevant experience will be considered.
- Minimum of 15 years of commercial construction experience, including at least 10 years in dedicated CPM scheduling, project controls, or scheduling leadership roles.
- Demonstrated experience developing, reviewing, and leading CPM scheduling practices for complex commercial construction projects across multiple project types, delivery methods, and organizational stakeholders.
- Experience supporting large commercial projects in government, institutional, healthcare, higher education, industrial, or other complex market sectors is preferred.
- Candidates with prior Project Manager or construction operations experience and significant scheduling responsibility are encouraged to apply.
- Ability to travel to project sites and regional offices.
Location and Work Arrangement:- This corporate position is ideally based in Cleveland, Ohio, with regular access to the Cleveland office. A hybrid arrangement may also be considered for candidates located near Higley offices in Detroit, Michigan; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; or Erie, Pennsylvania.
- This position requires travel and on-site presence.
Why Higley Construction?
- Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) - 100% Employee-Owned
- 25 days of Paid Time Off
- 9 Paid Holidays
- Health, Dental, & Vision Insurance
- Pet Insurance
- Health/Dependent Care Reimbursement Accounts
- 401k Contributions/Match
- Life Insurance/AD&D
- Employee Assistance Program
- Volunteer Time Off & Gift Match Program
- Paid Birthday Leave
- Paid Family Leave
- Paid Military Leave
- Short & Long Term Disability
- Years of Service Awards
- $1,500 Referral Bonus
- Mentorship Program
- Tuition/Certification Reimbursement
- Capability for up to 16 hours / week of remote work.
- Casual Friday Policy
- Cell Phone Reimbursement
- Apparel Allowance
- Enterprise/National Rental Benefits
Drug and Alcohol Screening Requirement
As part of your employment with Higley Construction, an initial pre-employment drug and alcohol test is required. This is followed by company-wide annual and random drug and alcohol testing for all employees for the duration of your employment. Higley Construction prohibits employees from being under the influence of substances such as drugs or alcohol during work hours. Higley Construction is dedicated to the Safety of all individuals in our offices and our job sites.
JOB REQUIREMENTS
The following outlines the essential functions of this role. Reasonable accommodations will be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
This position is classified as safety-sensitive as defined by the U.S. Department of Labor. Responsibilities include climbing ladders, working on scaffolding, driving motor vehicles, and walking on roofs or other surfaces commonly found in a construction site environment.
Physical Activities: This role requires driving to and from office, jobsites, meetings, client locations, events, and other work-related locations as necessary. It also may require climbing ladders and scaffolding, riding in mobile elevated work platforms at heights of up to 80 feet, and entering and working in confined or tight spaces. It involves remaining in a stationary position-standing or sitting-for extended periods, as well as frequent movement between tasks or worksites, including walking on snow-covered or icy surfaces. The position requires lifting or adjusting objects, including weights ranging from 30 to 50 pounds without difficulty, as well as performing repetitive motions involving the hands, wrists, or fingers. Use of hands and arms to handle tools, equipment, and materials is frequent, and tasks may involve operating spray test equipment, construction site tools, power tools, machinery, and heavy equipment. Employees must be able to wear fall protection gear and respiratory protection.
Environmental Conditions: Work may take place in a variety of environmental conditions, including exposure to high and low temperatures, inclement weather such as rain, wind, and snow, and getting wet during specific tasks. The role may also involve working in dusty environments, areas with extreme noise, poor ventilation, and small or enclosed spaces. In some instances, no adverse environmental conditions are expected.
This list of job requirements is subject to change at any time due to the needs of the business.
