diff --git a/src/collections/Emails.ts b/src/collections/Emails.ts
index 3b32d5e..1934cb0 100644
--- a/src/collections/Emails.ts
+++ b/src/collections/Emails.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import type { CollectionConfig } from 'payload'
+import { findExistingJobs, ensureEmailJob, updateEmailJobRelationship } from '../utils/jobScheduler.js'
 
 const Emails: CollectionConfig = {
   slug: 'emails',
@@ -201,19 +202,7 @@ const Emails: CollectionConfig = {
           // For updates where we need to check existing jobs, we need the document ID
           if (originalDoc?.id) {
             try {
-              // Check if a processing job already exists for this email
-              const existingJobs = await req.payload.find({
-                collection: 'payload-jobs',
-                where: {
-                  'input.emailId': {
-                    equals: String(originalDoc.id),
-                  },
-                  task: {
-                    equals: 'process-email',
-                  },
-                },
-                limit: 10,
-              })
+              const existingJobs = await findExistingJobs(req.payload, originalDoc.id)
 
               if (existingJobs.totalDocs > 0) {
                 // Add existing jobs to the relationship
@@ -245,48 +234,17 @@ const Emails: CollectionConfig = {
         }
 
         try {
-          // Check if a processing job already exists for this email
-          const existingJobs = await req.payload.find({
-            collection: 'payload-jobs',
-            where: {
-              'input.emailId': {
-                equals: String(doc.id),
-              },
-              task: {
-                equals: 'process-email',
-              },
-            },
-            limit: 1,
+          // Ensure a job exists for this email (will check for existing ones first)
+          const result = await ensureEmailJob(req.payload, doc.id, {
+            scheduledAt: doc.scheduledAt,
           })
 
-          // If no job exists, create one and add it to the relationship
-          if (existingJobs.totalDocs === 0) {
-            const mailingContext = (req.payload as any).mailing
-            const queueName = mailingContext?.config?.queue || 'default'
-
-            const job = await req.payload.jobs.queue({
-              queue: queueName,
-              task: 'process-email',
-              input: {
-                emailId: String(doc.id)
-              },
-              // If scheduled, set the waitUntil date
-              waitUntil: doc.scheduledAt ? new Date(doc.scheduledAt) : undefined
-            })
-
-            // Update the email document to include the job in the relationship
-            await req.payload.update({
-              collection: 'emails',
-              id: doc.id,
-              data: {
-                jobs: [...(doc.jobs || []), job.id]
-              }
-            })
-
-            console.log(`Auto-scheduled processing job ${job.id} for email ${doc.id}`)
+          // If a new job was created or we found existing jobs, update the relationship
+          if (result.jobIds.length > 0) {
+            await updateEmailJobRelationship(req.payload, doc.id, result.jobIds, 'emails')
           }
         } catch (error) {
-          console.error(`Failed to auto-schedule job for email ${doc.id}:`, error)
+          console.error(`Failed to ensure job for email ${doc.id}:`, error)
           // Don't throw - we don't want to fail the email creation/update
         }
       }
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 07622b3..4de77dc 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -29,4 +29,7 @@ export {
 } from './utils/helpers.js'
 
 // Email processing utilities
-export { processEmailById, processAllEmails } from './utils/emailProcessor.js'
\ No newline at end of file
+export { processEmailById, processAllEmails } from './utils/emailProcessor.js'
+
+// Job scheduling utilities
+export { findExistingJobs, ensureEmailJob, updateEmailJobRelationship } from './utils/jobScheduler.js'
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/sendEmail.ts b/src/sendEmail.ts
index d28f164..5efb316 100644
--- a/src/sendEmail.ts
+++ b/src/sendEmail.ts
@@ -149,10 +149,6 @@ export const sendEmail = async <TEmail extends BaseEmailDocument = BaseEmailDocu
       throw new Error('PayloadCMS jobs not configured - cannot process email immediately')
     }
 
-    // Wait a bit for hooks to complete and populate the job relationship
-    // This is necessary because hooks might run asynchronously
-    await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 100))
-
     // Refetch the email to get the populated jobs relationship
     const emailWithJobs = await payload.findByID({
       collection: collectionSlug,
diff --git a/src/utils/jobScheduler.ts b/src/utils/jobScheduler.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3eb4a85
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/jobScheduler.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+import type { Payload } from 'payload'
+
+/**
+ * Finds existing processing jobs for an email
+ */
+export async function findExistingJobs(
+  payload: Payload,
+  emailId: string | number
+): Promise<{ docs: any[], totalDocs: number }> {
+  return await payload.find({
+    collection: 'payload-jobs',
+    where: {
+      'input.emailId': {
+        equals: String(emailId),
+      },
+      task: {
+        equals: 'process-email',
+      },
+    },
+    limit: 10,
+  })
+}
+
+/**
+ * Ensures a processing job exists for an email
+ * Creates one if it doesn't exist, or returns existing job IDs
+ */
+export async function ensureEmailJob(
+  payload: Payload,
+  emailId: string | number,
+  options?: {
+    scheduledAt?: string | Date
+    queueName?: string
+  }
+): Promise<{ jobIds: (string | number)[], created: boolean }> {
+  if (!payload.jobs) {
+    throw new Error('PayloadCMS jobs not configured - cannot create email job')
+  }
+
+  // Check for existing jobs first
+  const existingJobs = await findExistingJobs(payload, emailId)
+
+  if (existingJobs.totalDocs > 0) {
+    // Return existing job IDs
+    return {
+      jobIds: existingJobs.docs.map(job => job.id),
+      created: false
+    }
+  }
+
+  // No existing job, create a new one
+  const mailingContext = (payload as any).mailing
+  const queueName = options?.queueName || mailingContext?.config?.queue || 'default'
+
+  const job = await payload.jobs.queue({
+    queue: queueName,
+    task: 'process-email',
+    input: {
+      emailId: String(emailId)
+    },
+    // If scheduled, set the waitUntil date
+    waitUntil: options?.scheduledAt ? new Date(options.scheduledAt) : undefined
+  })
+
+  console.log(`Auto-scheduled processing job ${job.id} for email ${emailId}`)
+
+  return {
+    jobIds: [job.id],
+    created: true
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Updates an email document to include job IDs in the relationship field
+ */
+export async function updateEmailJobRelationship(
+  payload: Payload,
+  emailId: string | number,
+  jobIds: (string | number)[],
+  collectionSlug: string = 'emails'
+): Promise<void> {
+  try {
+    // Get current jobs to avoid overwriting
+    const currentEmail = await payload.findByID({
+      collection: collectionSlug,
+      id: emailId,
+    })
+
+    const currentJobs = currentEmail.jobs || []
+    const allJobs = [...new Set([...currentJobs, ...jobIds])] // Deduplicate
+
+    await payload.update({
+      collection: collectionSlug,
+      id: emailId,
+      data: {
+        jobs: allJobs
+      }
+    })
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error(`Failed to update email ${emailId} with job relationship:`, error)
+    throw error
+  }
+}
\ No newline at end of file