diff --git a/pageserver/src/jobs/mod.rs b/pageserver/src/jobs/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..be2b292734
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pageserver/src/jobs/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+pub mod scheduler;
+pub mod worker;
diff --git a/pageserver/src/jobs/scheduler.rs b/pageserver/src/jobs/scheduler.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8e2ec7d8f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pageserver/src/jobs/scheduler.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+use std::time::Duration;
+
+use crate::thread_mgr::shutdown_watcher;
+use tokio::sync::mpsc::{Receiver, Sender, channel};
+use tokio::time::sleep;
+
+use super::worker::{Job, Worker, Report};
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub struct Sched<J: Job> {
+    pub worker: (Sender<Worker<J>>, Receiver<Worker<J>>),
+    pub work: (Sender<J>, Receiver<J>),
+    pub report: (Sender<Report<J>>, Receiver<Report<J>>),
+}
+
+impl<J: Job> Sched<J> {
+    pub fn new() -> Self {
+        Sched {
+            worker: channel::<Worker<J>>(100),
+            work: channel::<J>(100),
+            report: channel::<Report<J>>(100),
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn run(mut self) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+        let runtime = tokio::runtime::Builder::new_current_thread()
+             .enable_all()
+             .build()?;
+
+        runtime.block_on(async {
+            let mut workers = Vec::<Worker<J>>::new();
+            loop {
+                let shutdown_watcher = shutdown_watcher();
+                tokio::select! {
+                    _ = shutdown_watcher => break,
+                    w = self.worker.1.recv() => workers.push(w.expect("oopsie")),
+                    j = self.work.1.recv() => {
+                        if let Some(w) = workers.pop() {
+                            w.0.send(j.unwrap()).await.unwrap();
+                        } else {
+                            // no workers available, spawn?
+                        }
+                    },
+                    r = self.report.1.recv() => {
+                        // TODO
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        });
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use crate::{jobs::worker::run_worker, thread_mgr::{self, ThreadKind}};
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[derive(Debug, Clone, Eq, PartialEq)]
+    struct PrintJob {
+        to_print: String
+    }
+
+    impl Job for PrintJob {
+        fn run(&self) {
+            println!("{}", self.to_print);
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn sched_1() {
+        let s = Sched::<PrintJob>::new();
+
+        let send_work = s.work.0.clone();
+
+        // Used for workers
+        let enlist = s.worker.0.clone();
+        let report = s.report.0.clone();
+
+        // Spawn scheduler
+        thread_mgr::spawn(
+            ThreadKind::GcScheduler,
+            None,
+            None,
+            "gc_scheduler",
+            true,
+            move || {
+                s.run()
+            },
+        ).unwrap();
+
+        // Spawn worker 1
+        thread_mgr::spawn(
+            ThreadKind::GcWorker,
+            None,
+            None,
+            "gc_worker_1",
+            true,
+            move || {
+                run_worker(enlist, report)
+            },
+        ).unwrap();
+
+        // Send a job
+        let j = PrintJob {
+            to_print: "hello from job".to_string(),
+        };
+        send_work.send(j.clone()).await.unwrap();
+
+        sleep(Duration::from_millis(1000)).await;
+
+        thread_mgr::shutdown_threads(None, None, None);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/pageserver/src/jobs/worker.rs b/pageserver/src/jobs/worker.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0dfdf9a1d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pageserver/src/jobs/worker.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+//!
+//! Worker thread that can be used in a thread pool to process jobs.
+//!
+use crate::thread_mgr::shutdown_watcher;
+use tokio::sync::mpsc::{Sender, channel};
+
+pub trait Job: std::fmt::Debug {
+    fn run(&self);
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub struct Worker<J: Job>(pub Sender<J>);
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub struct Report<J: Job> {
+    for_job: J,
+}
+
+pub fn run_worker<J: Job>(enlist: Sender<Worker<J>>, report: Sender<Report<J>>) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+    let runtime = tokio::runtime::Builder::new_current_thread()
+         .enable_all()
+         .build()?;
+
+    runtime.block_on(async {
+        loop {
+            let (send_work, mut get_work) = channel::<J>(100);
+            enlist.send(Worker(send_work)).await.unwrap();
+
+            let shutdown_watcher = shutdown_watcher();
+            tokio::select! {
+                _ = shutdown_watcher => break,
+                j = get_work.recv() => {
+                    let job = j.unwrap();
+                    job.run();
+                    report.send(Report {
+                        for_job: job,
+                    }).await.unwrap();
+                }
+            };
+        }
+    });
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use crate::thread_mgr::{self, ThreadKind};
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[derive(Debug, Clone, Eq, PartialEq)]
+    struct PrintJob {
+        to_print: String
+    }
+
+    impl Job for PrintJob {
+        fn run(&self) {
+            println!("{}", self.to_print);
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn worker_1() {
+        let mut worker = channel::<Worker<PrintJob>>(100);
+        let mut result = channel::<Report<PrintJob>>(100);
+
+        thread_mgr::spawn(
+            ThreadKind::GcWorker,
+            None,
+            None,
+            "gc_worker_1",
+            true,
+            move || {
+                run_worker(worker.0, result.0)
+            },
+        ).unwrap();
+
+        let j = PrintJob {
+            to_print: "hello from job".to_string(),
+        };
+        let w = worker.1.recv().await.unwrap();
+        w.0.send(j.clone()).await.unwrap();
+
+        println!("waiting for result");
+        let report = result.1.recv().await.unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(j, report.for_job);
+        println!("got result");
+
+        thread_mgr::shutdown_threads(None, None, None);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn worker_cancellation() {
+    }
+}
diff --git a/pageserver/src/lib.rs b/pageserver/src/lib.rs
index 83985069ec..8bc709cbc6 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/lib.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/lib.rs
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ pub mod walingest;
 pub mod walreceiver;
 pub mod walrecord;
 pub mod walredo;
+pub mod jobs;
 
 use lazy_static::lazy_static;
 use tracing::info;
diff --git a/pageserver/src/thread_mgr.rs b/pageserver/src/thread_mgr.rs
index b908f220ee..2014252b3c 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/thread_mgr.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/thread_mgr.rs
@@ -97,6 +97,12 @@ pub enum ThreadKind {
     // Thread that handles compaction of all timelines for a tenant.
     Compactor,
 
+    // Thread that schedules GC tasks
+    GcScheduler,
+
+    // Thread that works on GC tasks
+    GcWorker,
+
     // Thread that handles GC of a tenant
     GarbageCollector,