Ammonia & Automation Technician

Jobot; Franklin Park (IL); On-site; USD 103,155,000 - 116,049,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision after 30天

401(k) eligibility after one year

PTO from day one

Job summary

Jobot is seeking an Ammonia & Automation Technician in Franklin Park, IL. The role is on-site, full-time, permanent, and pays $36–$40.50 per hour. You will be the plant's primary ammonia refrigeration technician and working automation expert, ensuring safe, efficient operation and maintenance.

The position offers medical, dental, and vision benefits after 30 days, 401(k) eligibility after one year, PTO from day one, and paid holidays. Strong safety and GMP practices are essential to success.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years of hands-on industrial maintenance in manufacturing.
• Experience with ammonia refrigeration systems.
• Able to read PLC logic and diagnose faults.
• Safety training including lockout/tagout.
• Bilingual English and Spanish preferred.

Responsibilities

• Operate and monitor the plant’s ammonia refrigeration system and related equipment.
• Perform preventive maintenance and repairs on compressors, evaporators, condensers, valves and controls.
• Troubleshoot ammonia detection systems and refrigeration alarms.
• Follow ammonia safety procedures including emergency-response and PPE.
• Document rounds, repairs, parts usage, and work orders.
• Coordinate with Plant Engineer for contractor work when needed.

Skills

Industrial refrigeration

Automation systems

Electrical controls

Troubleshooting

PLC literacy

Education

High school diploma or GED

Bachelors in mechanical engineering or robotics

Tools

PLCs

HMI

VFDs

Industrial sensors

Job description

Ammonia & Automation Technician

$36 - $40.5 per hour | Franklin Park, IL | On-site | Permanent

Ammonia Refrigeration & Automation Technician – Food Manufacturing | $36.00–$40.50/hour

A bit about us:

Founded as a family-owned food manufacturer and based in Franklin Park, Illinois, we are a medium-sized producer of Greek and ethnic food products serving restaurants, retailers, and national brands. We operate an SQF Level 2-certified facility under both USDA and FDA jurisdiction, with certified Halal production programs and a federal inspector on-site every production day. Our highly automated plant depends on a reliable industrial ammonia refrigeration system to protect the cold chain across its production areas, coolers, freezers, spiral units, and blast cells.

Why join us?

• Direct-Hire Opportunity: Full-time, permanent position paid biweekly
• Comprehensive Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision eligibility after 30 days
• Retirement Benefits: 401(k) eligibility after one year
• Paid Time Off: PTO accrues from day one, with up to 10 days annually at hire and up to 15 days after three years
• Paid Holidays: Eligibility after 30 days
• Performance Growth: Substantial performance-based raises for employees who demonstrate strong results
• High-Impact Role: Serve as the plant’s primary ammonia refrigeration technician and working automation expert
• Stable Food Manufacturing Environment: Join an established, family-owned manufacturer with rigorous food-safety and operational standards

Job Details

Key Responsibilities and Duties

• Operate and monitor the plant’s industrial ammonia refrigeration system, including compressors, condensers, evaporators, receivers, valve stations, and relief systems.
• Complete and document daily operating rounds, including suction and discharge pressures, temperatures, oil levels, equipment sound, and ammonia detector-panel conditions.
• Perform preventive maintenance and qualified repairs involving compressors, evaporators, condensers, valves, seals, oil systems, fans, motors, and refrigeration equipment.
• Troubleshoot ammonia detection systems, refrigeration alarms, defrost cycles, temperature deviations, leaks, and cold-chain performance issues.
• Follow established ammonia emergency-response, evacuation, respiratory-protection, and alarm-response procedures.
• Maintain proper temperatures across production coolers, holding freezers, spiral units, and blast cells operating down to -10°F.
• Diagnose evaporator icing, defrost-performance issues, airflow problems, fan and motor failures, and door or curtain infiltration.
• Safely troubleshoot 480V three-phase, 240V, and 24V control circuits.
• Diagnose motor circuits, contactors, overloads, relays, VFDs, sensors, photo eyes, servos, control panels, and electrical schematics.
• Read PLC logic, HMI fault screens, and system I/O to identify equipment faults, interlock problems, communication issues, and safety-circuit failures.
• Install, maintain, troubleshoot, and replace automation components, including servos, servo drives, encoders, VFDs, sensors, motion sensors, photo eyes, and control devices.
• Verify newly installed automation components, preserve equipment settings, and back up applicable configuration information.
• Perform millwright-level assembly, disassembly, alignment, and repair of heavy industrial machinery.
• Troubleshoot compressed-air and pneumatic systems, conveyors, transfers, pumps, packaging equipment, and dock doors.
• Support preventive maintenance, emergency repairs, root-cause investigations, and corrective-action follow-through.
• Document equipment rounds, repairs, parts usage, work orders, and cause-and-fix information within the same shift.
• Apply lockout/tagout procedures and work within established training, authorization, PPE, and safety boundaries.
• Coordinate contractor-level ammonia, electrical, programming, and controls work with the Plant Engineer when necessary.
• Help protect electrical and mechanical equipment during sanitation and washdown activities.
• Assist the Sanitation Manager with equipment-related washdown procedures and safe access to difficult areas.
• Follow GMP, HACCP, SQF, sanitation, quality, and food-safety requirements.
• Participate in alarm-response arrangements established at the time of hire.
• Work safely in wet production areas, elevated equipment areas, compressor rooms, coolers, and freezers operating as cold as -10°F.

Qualifications Needed

• High school diploma or GED required.
• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, robotics, or a closely related field preferred; a recognized technical-school program, trade-school program, apprenticeship, OEM training, or military technical training in industrial maintenance, mechatronics, electrical systems, refrigeration, or controls may qualify as an equivalent.
• Formal industrial ammonia refrigeration operator training required, such as RETA CARO/CIRO, Industrial Consultants Level 1/2, a university industrial-refrigeration program, or a verified equivalent.
• Minimum 3 years of directly relevant, hands‑on industrial manufacturing maintenance experience, including automation experience in a production environment.
• Hands‑on experience operating and maintaining an industrial ammonia refrigeration system.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot 480V three‑phase, 240V, and 24V electrical and control circuits.
• Demonstrated ability to read PLC logic and use PLC I/O and HMI information to diagnose equipment faults.
• Experience maintaining and troubleshooting compressors, evaporators, condensers, valve stations, refrigeration controls, and ammonia detection systems.
• Experience installing, maintaining, troubleshooting, and replacing VFDs, servos, sensors, photo eyes, encoders, motor controls, and other industrial automation components.
• Strong mechanical background, including millwright‑level machinery teardown, buildup, alignment, and repair.
• Experience with pneumatic and compressed‑air systems.
• Strong lockout/tagout and industrial safety knowledge.
• Ability to perform preventive maintenance, root‑cause analysis, equipment documentation, and cause‑and‑fix reporting.
• Ability to distinguish between technician‑level work and repairs requiring contractors, engineering support, programming changes, or additional authorization.
• Food manufacturing experience involving GMP, HACCP, SQF, sanitation, or quality systems strongly preferred.
• Ammonia emergency‑response, Incident Commander, HAZWOPER, SCBA, or respiratory‑protection training strongly preferred.
• EPA Section 608 Universal certification, stationary‑engineer licensure, boiler experience, HVAC/R experience, PSM/RMP participation, CMMS experience, or relevant ISA, ETA, MSSC, or OEM certifications are a plus.
• Bilingual English and Spanish strongly preferred.
• Ability to lift 50 pounds unassisted and work for extended periods in wet, cold, elevated, and industrial environments.
• Ability to work in production areas around 40°F and periodically enter freezer environments reaching -10°F.
• Ability to wear required PPE and qualify for respiratory protection when required.
• Willingness to complete certificate verification, professional references, background check, drug screening, and E-Verify.

Jobot is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We provide an inclusive work environment that celebrates diversity and all qualified candidates receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, age (40 and over), disability, military status, genetic information or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. Jobot also prohibits harassment of applicants or employees based on any of these protected categories. It is Jobot’s policy to comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws respecting consideration of unemployment status in making hiring decisions.

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