diff --git a/backend/controller/observability/observability.go b/backend/controller/observability/observability.go
index 6d32210ae0..dbd6a1b467 100644
--- a/backend/controller/observability/observability.go
+++ b/backend/controller/observability/observability.go
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ var (
 	Deployment *DeploymentMetrics
 	Ingress    *IngressMetrics
 	PubSub     *PubSubMetrics
-	Cron       *CronMetrics
 	Controller *ControllerTracing
 	Timeline   *TimelineMetrics
 )
@@ -34,8 +33,6 @@ func init() {
 	errs = errors.Join(errs, err)
 	PubSub, err = initPubSubMetrics()
 	errs = errors.Join(errs, err)
-	Cron, err = initCronMetrics()
-	errs = errors.Join(errs, err)
 	Controller = initControllerTracing()
 	Timeline, err = initTimelineMetrics()
 	errs = errors.Join(errs, err)
diff --git a/backend/controller/observability/cron.go b/backend/cron/observability/cron.go
similarity index 89%
rename from backend/controller/observability/cron.go
rename to backend/cron/observability/cron.go
index ffd5fe633d..6e796ba62e 100644
--- a/backend/controller/observability/cron.go
+++ b/backend/cron/observability/cron.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package observability
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/alecthomas/types/optional"
 	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel"
@@ -20,6 +21,8 @@ const (
 
 	cronJobKilledStatus      = "killed"
 	cronJobFailedStartStatus = "failed_start"
+
+	deploymentMeterName = "ftl.deployments.cron"
 )
 
 type CronMetrics struct {
@@ -28,6 +31,16 @@ type CronMetrics struct {
 	jobLatency    metric.Int64Histogram
 }
 
+var Cron *CronMetrics
+
+func init() {
+	var err error
+	Cron, err = initCronMetrics()
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(fmt.Errorf("could not initialize cron metrics: %w", err))
+	}
+}
+
 func initCronMetrics() (*CronMetrics, error) {
 	result := &CronMetrics{
 		jobsActive:    noop.Int64UpDownCounter{},
@@ -108,3 +121,11 @@ func cronAttributes(job model.CronJob, maybeStatus optional.Option[string]) metr
 	}
 	return metric.WithAttributes(attributes...)
 }
+
+func wrapErr(signalName string, err error) error {
+	return fmt.Errorf("failed to create %q signal: %w", signalName, err)
+}
+
+func timeSinceMS(start time.Time) int64 {
+	return time.Since(start).Milliseconds()
+}
diff --git a/backend/cron/service.go b/backend/cron/service.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..65891baf3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/cron/service.go
@@ -0,0 +1,204 @@
+package cron
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"sort"
+	"time"
+
+	"connectrpc.com/connect"
+	"github.com/jpillora/backoff"
+	"golang.org/x/sync/errgroup"
+
+	ftlv1 "github.com/TBD54566975/ftl/backend/protos/xyz/block/ftl/v1"
+	schemapb "github.com/TBD54566975/ftl/backend/protos/xyz/block/ftl/v1/schema"
+	"github.com/TBD54566975/ftl/internal/cron"
+	"github.com/TBD54566975/ftl/internal/log"
+	"github.com/TBD54566975/ftl/internal/rpc"
+	"github.com/TBD54566975/ftl/internal/schema"
+	"github.com/TBD54566975/ftl/internal/slices"
+)
+
+type PullSchemaClient interface {
+	PullSchema(ctx context.Context, req *connect.Request[ftlv1.PullSchemaRequest]) (*connect.ServerStreamForClient[ftlv1.PullSchemaResponse], error)
+}
+
+type CallClient interface {
+	Call(ctx context.Context, req *connect.Request[ftlv1.CallRequest]) (*connect.Response[ftlv1.CallResponse], error)
+}
+
+type cronJob struct {
+	module  string
+	verb    *schema.Verb
+	cronmd  *schema.MetadataCronJob
+	pattern cron.Pattern
+	next    time.Time
+}
+
+func (c cronJob) String() string {
+	desc := fmt.Sprintf("%s.%s (%s)", c.module, c.verb.Name, c.pattern)
+	var next string
+	if time.Until(c.next) > 0 {
+		next = fmt.Sprintf(" (next run in %s)", time.Until(c.next))
+	}
+	return desc + next
+}
+
+// Start the cron service. Blocks until the context is cancelled.
+func Start(ctx context.Context, pullSchemaClient PullSchemaClient, verbClient CallClient) error {
+	wg, ctx := errgroup.WithContext(ctx)
+	changes := make(chan *ftlv1.PullSchemaResponse, 8)
+	// Start processing cron jobs and schema changes.
+	wg.Go(func() error {
+		return run(ctx, verbClient, changes)
+	})
+	// Start watching for schema changes.
+	wg.Go(func() error {
+		rpc.RetryStreamingServerStream(ctx, backoff.Backoff{}, &ftlv1.PullSchemaRequest{}, pullSchemaClient.PullSchema, func(ctx context.Context, resp *ftlv1.PullSchemaResponse) error {
+			changes <- resp
+			return nil
+		}, rpc.AlwaysRetry())
+		return nil
+	})
+	err := wg.Wait()
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("cron service stopped: %w", err)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func run(ctx context.Context, verbClient CallClient, changes chan *ftlv1.PullSchemaResponse) error {
+	logger := log.FromContext(ctx).Scope("cron")
+	// Map of cron jobs for each module.
+	cronJobs := map[string][]cronJob{}
+	// Cron jobs ordered by next execution.
+	cronQueue := []cronJob{}
+
+	logger.Debugf("Starting cron service")
+
+	for {
+		next, ok := scheduleNext(cronQueue)
+		var nextCh <-chan time.Time
+		if ok {
+			logger.Tracef("Next cron job scheduled in %s", next)
+			nextCh = time.After(next)
+		}
+		select {
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			return fmt.Errorf("cron service stopped: %w", ctx.Err())
+
+		case resp := <-changes:
+			if err := updateCronJobs(cronJobs, resp); err != nil {
+				logger.Errorf(err, "Failed to update cron jobs")
+				continue
+			}
+			cronQueue = rebuildQueue(cronJobs)
+
+		// Execute scheduled cron job
+		case <-nextCh:
+			job := cronQueue[0]
+			logger.Debugf("Executing cron job %s", job)
+
+			nextRun, err := cron.Next(job.pattern, false)
+			if err != nil {
+				logger.Errorf(err, "Failed to calculate next run time")
+				continue
+			}
+			job.next = nextRun
+			cronQueue[0] = job
+			orderQueue(cronQueue)
+
+			if err := callCronJob(ctx, verbClient, job); err != nil {
+				logger.Errorf(err, "Failed to execute cron job")
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func callCronJob(ctx context.Context, verbClient CallClient, cronJob cronJob) error {
+	logger := log.FromContext(ctx).Scope("cron")
+	ref := schema.Ref{Module: cronJob.module, Name: cronJob.verb.Name}
+	logger.Debugf("Calling cron job %s", cronJob)
+	resp, err := verbClient.Call(ctx, connect.NewRequest(&ftlv1.CallRequest{
+		Verb:     ref.ToProto().(*schemapb.Ref),
+		Body:     []byte(`{}`),
+		Metadata: &ftlv1.Metadata{},
+	}))
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("%s: call to cron job failed: %w", ref, err)
+	}
+	switch resp := resp.Msg.Response.(type) {
+	default:
+		return nil
+
+	case *ftlv1.CallResponse_Error_:
+		return fmt.Errorf("%s: cron job failed: %s", ref, resp.Error.Message)
+	}
+}
+
+func scheduleNext(cronQueue []cronJob) (time.Duration, bool) {
+	if len(cronQueue) == 0 {
+		return 0, false
+	}
+	return time.Until(cronQueue[0].next), true
+}
+
+func updateCronJobs(cronJobs map[string][]cronJob, resp *ftlv1.PullSchemaResponse) error {
+	switch resp.ChangeType {
+	case ftlv1.DeploymentChangeType_DEPLOYMENT_REMOVED:
+		delete(cronJobs, resp.ModuleName)
+
+	case ftlv1.DeploymentChangeType_DEPLOYMENT_ADDED, ftlv1.DeploymentChangeType_DEPLOYMENT_CHANGED:
+		moduleSchema, err := schema.ModuleFromProto(resp.Schema)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to extract module schema: %w", err)
+		}
+		moduleJobs, err := extractCronJobs(moduleSchema)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to extract cron jobs: %w", err)
+		}
+		cronJobs[resp.ModuleName] = moduleJobs
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func orderQueue(queue []cronJob) {
+	sort.SliceStable(queue, func(i, j int) bool {
+		return queue[i].next.Before(queue[j].next)
+	})
+}
+
+func rebuildQueue(cronJobs map[string][]cronJob) []cronJob {
+	queue := make([]cronJob, 0, len(cronJobs)*2) // Assume 2 cron jobs per module.
+	for _, jobs := range cronJobs {
+		queue = append(queue, jobs...)
+	}
+	orderQueue(queue)
+	return queue
+}
+
+func extractCronJobs(module *schema.Module) ([]cronJob, error) {
+	cronJobs := []cronJob{}
+	for verb := range slices.FilterVariants[*schema.Verb](module.Decls) {
+		cronmd, ok := slices.FindVariant[*schema.MetadataCronJob](verb.Metadata)
+		if !ok {
+			continue
+		}
+		pattern, err := cron.Parse(cronmd.Cron)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("%s: %w", cronmd.Pos, err)
+		}
+		next, err := cron.Next(pattern, false)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("%s: %w", cronmd.Pos, err)
+		}
+		cronJobs = append(cronJobs, cronJob{
+			module:  module.Name,
+			verb:    verb,
+			cronmd:  cronmd,
+			pattern: pattern,
+			next:    next,
+		})
+	}
+	return cronJobs, nil
+}
diff --git a/backend/cron/service_test.go b/backend/cron/service_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..261d2b8867
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/cron/service_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+package cron
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"os"
+	"sort"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"connectrpc.com/connect"
+	"golang.org/x/sync/errgroup"
+
+	"github.com/alecthomas/assert/v2"
+
+	ftlv1 "github.com/TBD54566975/ftl/backend/protos/xyz/block/ftl/v1"
+	schemapb "github.com/TBD54566975/ftl/backend/protos/xyz/block/ftl/v1/schema"
+	"github.com/TBD54566975/ftl/internal/log"
+	"github.com/TBD54566975/ftl/internal/schema"
+)
+
+type verbClient struct {
+	requests chan *ftlv1.CallRequest
+}
+
+var _ CallClient = (*verbClient)(nil)
+
+func (v *verbClient) Call(ctx context.Context, req *connect.Request[ftlv1.CallRequest]) (*connect.Response[ftlv1.CallResponse], error) {
+	v.requests <- req.Msg
+	return connect.NewResponse(&ftlv1.CallResponse{Response: &ftlv1.CallResponse_Body{Body: []byte("{}")}}), nil
+}
+
+func TestCron(t *testing.T) {
+	changes := make(chan *ftlv1.PullSchemaResponse, 8)
+	module := &schema.Module{
+		Name: "echo",
+		Decls: []schema.Decl{
+			&schema.Verb{
+				Name:     "echo",
+				Request:  &schema.Unit{},
+				Response: &schema.Unit{},
+				Metadata: []schema.Metadata{
+					&schema.MetadataCronJob{Cron: "*/2 * * * * *"},
+				},
+			},
+			&schema.Verb{
+				Name:     "time",
+				Request:  &schema.Unit{},
+				Response: &schema.Unit{},
+				Metadata: []schema.Metadata{
+					&schema.MetadataCronJob{Cron: "*/2 * * * * *"},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	changes <- &ftlv1.PullSchemaResponse{
+		ModuleName: "echo",
+		Schema:     module.ToProto().(*schemapb.Module), //nolint:forcetypeassert
+	}
+
+	ctx := log.ContextWithLogger(context.Background(), log.Configure(os.Stderr, log.Config{Level: log.Trace}))
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, time.Second*5)
+	t.Cleanup(cancel)
+
+	wg, ctx := errgroup.WithContext(ctx)
+
+	requestsch := make(chan *ftlv1.CallRequest, 8)
+	client := &verbClient{
+		requests: requestsch,
+	}
+
+	wg.Go(func() error { return run(ctx, client, changes) })
+
+	requests := make([]*ftlv1.CallRequest, 0, 2)
+
+done:
+	for range 2 {
+		select {
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			t.Fatalf("timed out: %s", ctx.Err())
+
+		case request := <-requestsch:
+			requests = append(requests, request)
+			if len(requests) == 2 {
+				break done
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	cancel()
+
+	sort.SliceStable(requests, func(i, j int) bool {
+		return requests[i].Verb.Name < requests[j].Verb.Name
+	})
+	assert.Equal(t, []*ftlv1.CallRequest{
+		{
+			Metadata: &ftlv1.Metadata{},
+			Verb:     &schemapb.Ref{Module: "echo", Name: "echo"},
+			Body:     []byte("{}"),
+		},
+		{
+			Metadata: &ftlv1.Metadata{},
+			Verb:     &schemapb.Ref{Module: "echo", Name: "time"},
+			Body:     []byte("{}"),
+		},
+	}, requests, assert.Exclude[*schemapb.Position]())
+
+	err := wg.Wait()
+	assert.IsError(t, err, context.Canceled)
+}
diff --git a/internal/cron/pattern.go b/internal/cron/pattern.go
index 257c243063..a9a41137a3 100644
--- a/internal/cron/pattern.go
+++ b/internal/cron/pattern.go
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ var (
 	parser = participle.MustBuild[Pattern](parserOptions...)
 )
 
+// Pattern represents a cron schedule.
 type Pattern struct {
 	Duration   *string     `parser:"@(Number ('s' | 'm' | 'h'))"`
 	DayOfWeek  *DayOfWeek  `parser:"| @('Mon' | 'Tue' | 'Wed' | 'Thu' | 'Fri' | 'Sat' | 'Sun')"`
diff --git a/internal/rpc/rpc.go b/internal/rpc/rpc.go
index f1af32ffa5..3fd0107fd8 100644
--- a/internal/rpc/rpc.go
+++ b/internal/rpc/rpc.go
@@ -264,8 +264,8 @@ func AlwaysRetry() func(error) bool {
 }
 
 // RetryStreamingServerStream will repeatedly call handler with responses from
-// the stream returned by "rpc" until handler returns an error or the context is
-// cancelled.
+// the stream returned by "rpc" until either the context is cancelled or the
+// errorRetryCallback returns false.
 func RetryStreamingServerStream[Req, Resp any](
 	ctx context.Context,
 	retry backoff.Backoff,
diff --git a/internal/slices/slices.go b/internal/slices/slices.go
index f25acc5a26..3dcb017128 100644
--- a/internal/slices/slices.go
+++ b/internal/slices/slices.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package slices
 
 import (
 	"cmp"
+	"iter"
 	"sort"
 )
 
@@ -105,6 +106,20 @@ func FindVariant[T any, U any](slice []U) (T, bool) {
 	return zero, false
 }
 
+// FilterVariants finds all elements in a slice that can be cast to the given type.
+func FilterVariants[T any, U any](slice []U) iter.Seq[T] {
+	return func(yield func(T) bool) {
+		for _, el := range slice {
+			if found, ok := any(el).(T); ok {
+				if !yield(found) {
+					return
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// Unique returns a new slice containing only the unique elements of the input, with the order preserved.
 func Unique[T comparable](slice []T) []T {
 	seen := make(map[T]struct{})
 	result := make([]T, 0, len(slice))