About

Ask yourself...

  • Can you coordinate material and equipment deliveries, and ensure that construction crews have what they need when they need it?
  • Are you comfortable working under pressure and tight deadlines?
  • Are you good with details?

If the answer to these questions is yes, then a career as a Scheduler/Expediter could be right for you.

Schedulers and expediters coordinate and expedite the flow of work and materials within a construction company and or on construction job sites, prepare work and production schedules, and monitor progress of construction projects.

They are employed by larger construction companies.

Duties

Schedulers and expediters perform some or all of the following duties:

  • Estimate type and quantity of materials and labour required for production, construction and other projects
  • Meet regularly with warehouse and construction supervisors and purchasing and inventory clerks to coordinate activities between warehouses and construction sites
  • Coordinate and monitor the movement of parts, supplies and materials onto the construction site, and ensure that supplies, construction materials and equipment are received on schedule
  • Prepare and maintain various reports on the progress of work, materials used and other relevant information using manual or computerized systems
  • Research competitive prices

Work Conditions

Depending on the size of the construction project, schedulers and expediters work in an off-site office or in an on-site office or warehouse. In any case, they spend some time on site ensuring that materials and equipment are available when required.

As with all careers in the construction industry, safety is the top priority. While on construction or other job sites, schedulers and expediters must be aware of and comply with all relevant safety policy and procedures.

Training and Certification

The Project Management Institute (PMI) is a good source of information on courses and training providers for this occupation. The PMI also awards the Project Management Institute – Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP) designation to schedulers and expediters who meet their certification requirements. For more information, visit www.pmi.org.

Typical background requirements for this profession are:

  • Completion of secondary school
  • Previous clerical experience or experience as a construction worker
  • The ability to prepare and maintain progress and other reports, monitor production progress and coordinate activities with warehouse and construction team/crew leaders.
  • Computer use and use of relevant software (word processors, spreadsheets and databases)

Courses

Construction Industry Ethics
Construction Project Management
Introduction to Construction Estimating
Working in a Respectful and Inclusive Workplace

Wage

Salary Gradient
Mid range
$52,330
Salary Range ArrowHigh range
$77,000
The wage range listed here is based on hourly rates multiplied by a 40-hour work week. Wages can vary depending on the contract, company, location and collective agreements (if applicable), as well as local and national economic conditions. Overtime is not included.

The “mid range” wage is based on the national “median” wage reported in the Job Bank career profile for this National Occupational Category (NOC): 1523

Note: Some career profiles may have more than one NOC code associated with them.

Wage data obtained from the Government of Canada’s Job Bank.