Senior Scheduler

**Overview**

This role works closely with the Head of Scheduling and the Production Department, ensuring that day-to-day booking tasks are maintained and completed in a timely manner to facilitate the smooth running of projects. To have an oversight with the Head of Scheduling on future projects, flagging and resolving any potential resource issues. With a good grounding of VFX Pipeline, the Senior Scheduler oversees project and freelancer bookings as well as providing assistance on other ad-hoc tasks as required.

**Key skill areas**

**Organisational skills **- keeping a cool, methodical head to ensure the wider team receive what is required on time and to the high standards we set ourselves.

**External relationships (freelancers) **- ability to communicate and manage our freelance pool, projecting a professional image of Absolute and resolving queries efficiently, and negotiating effectively on rates.

**Staff relationships** - communicating effectively with ops and producers as well as your general attitude to everyone at Absolute.

**Key responsibilities**
- Prioritising jobs efficiently on a first come, first served basis, with the ability to filter requests based on their urgency.
- Checking holidays and operators’ time off for the various departments, looking into the future and arranging extra cover as necessary.
- Ensure that the time allotted to jobs is the most efficient so that clients do not get turned away due to lack of resources.
- Be aware of conversations in production that require action, for example a schedule pushing back.
- Ensuring there is constant & clear communication with the Junior Scheduler, and monitoring their learning & development.
- Hybrid working with a minimum 3 days office attendance. Working with the scheduling team to ensure at least one member of the team is always in the office.

ORGANISATIONAL SKILLS
- Always aiming to maximise the output of work throughout the company as a whole, utilising all resources available to you at any one time.
- Pro-actively offering spare time when ops are free, in case producers haven’t seen the availability, or if bookings change at the last minute.
- Always looking for a 2nd option/alternative, helping you to negotiate time/ops withvarious producers.
- Together with Head Scheduling have a detailed understanding of all project needs in the building. Able to think about how a change in one schedule could benefit or impact on another.
- Always looking for a 2nd option/alternative, helping the Head of Scheduling to negotiate time/ops with various producers.

EXTERNAL RELATIONSHIPS
- Communicates effectively with freelancers so that it promotes a friendly and professional image of Absolute.
- Responds to freelancers in a timely manner so that we don’t lose our bookings / pencils.
- Start to understand the skillsets of freelancers that we have as contacts so that you can identify the right people for the right job.
- To assist the Head of Scheduling to grow a network of freelancer contacts.
- To assist the Head of Scheduling in negotiating freelancers rates to either minimise costs or to keep a level of flexibility with our job bookings.
- Works with Producers and other Heads of Departments to gain a good understanding of the skillsets of freelancers that we have as contacts, who might be suitable for certain types of work or general level of skill compared to others providing the same service. Using that knowledge to pick the right people for the right jobs.

TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE
- A good understanding of online facility services, infrastructure and VFX pipelines.
- Good understanding of CETA and the functions that exist within it.
- Willing to contribute ideas for any efficiencies or process changes to make things run smoother.

STAFF RELATIONSHIPS
- A general positive attitude taken to all tasks.
- Pro-actively resolving any issues that are presented to you. To work calmly and with good humour whilst maintain a great team ethic. To be a skillful problem solver.
- Communicating any Operator or Machine issues with engineering, quickly and efficiently.
- Building a good relationship with producers, based on trust, and an understanding that we will always strive to meet their needs. While not being afraid to push back if necessary.
- Asking for help and support from the Head of Scheduling or other members of Senior Management if unsure, however trivial you think the question or problem may be.
- Responsive to and supportive of the Junior Scheduler, taking an active interest in their development as well as helping them with any day-to-day issues that arise.