Director of Refrigeration

Pacific Seafood; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 91,000 - 133,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance benefits

401(k) Retirement Plan with company-mn

Paid time off

Employee Assistance Program

Product purchase program

Job summary

Pacific Seafood seeks a Director of Refrigeration in Clackamas to lead refrigeration functions, maintenance programs, and continuous improvement across facilities. You will manage capital projects, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and drive safety, quality, and efficiency.

The role requires extensive experience in maintenance and refrigeration, strong leadership, and the ability to coordinate with vendors and internal stakeholders to meet budget and timeline goals.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10-years related maintenance and refrigeration experience in the food/seafood industry.
• Strong technical knowledge in maintenance and refrigeration practices, including ammonia systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead refrigeration functions and maintenance programs across the division.
• Manage capital projects and budgetary tracking for maintenance excellence.
• Develop and implement season readiness plans and asset maintenance strategies.
• Ensure safety, environmental, and quality standards across operations.

Skills

Leadership

Project Management

Communication

Refrigeration

Maintenance

Problem Solving

Tools

CAD tools

RETA/IIAR training

Job description

Director of Refrigeration

Department: Processing Admin

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Clackamas

Reporting To: Mark Kenworthy

Compensation: $90,879 - $132,683 / year

Description

At Pacific Seafood, we do more than just provide the world with the healthiest proteins on the planet. We are a family-owned, excellence-driven organization committed to being the brand of choice in the marketplace and the employer of choice in the community. We believe in servant leadership, investing in our team members’ personal and professional growth, and rewarding performance. We live by the core values of our Diamond Philosophy: Teamwork, Productivity, Quality, and Excellence—which means consistently doing your best and always striving to do better.

A Director of Refrigeration at Pacific Seafood is a key role on our leadership team supporting efforts to ensure the safe and efficient operation and continuous improvement of our facilities, equipment, production processes, and refrigeration systems. This position not only manages maintenance programs and refrigeration projects but also assesses their impact, making sure each meets or exceeds our established standards, production demands, timeframes, and budgetary limits. The Director role will collaborate with operational leaders and lead skilled professionals to deliver industry leading maintenance, refrigeration, and process and program improvement.

Key Responsibilities

1. Leadership of Refrigeration functions:

• Responsible for collaborating with cross functional teams to develop and oversee the division’s preventative maintenance programs, schedules, plans and refrigeration projects (capital and expense), to providing technical expertise that drive results.
• Participate in the budgeting process, both generation and ownership for tracking actual versus forecast.
• Evaluate the performance of the Maintenance and Refrigeration teams and assist with skill gap analysis, development opportunities, and succession planning strategies.
• Provide critical leadership and solutions needed for major capital projects and maintenance excellence as well as ensure plant safety, operations, and quality.
• Collaborate with facilities to create Season Readiness Plans, Effective Asset Preventative Maintenance plans, coaching leaders to be able to monitor and ensure adherence to all standard work process by regularly auditing plans, providing feedback, and supporting gap resolution.
• Implement operating procedures, resolve system malfunctions, and provide technical information.
• Troubleshoot and diagnose equipment malfunctions, identify root causes, and implement effective solutions in a timely manner.
• Work with internal team and external vendors to perform routine inspections, coordinate repairs on equipment, machinery, and infrastructure to ensure optimal functionality.
• Ensure compliance with safety regulations, environmental standards, Process Safety Management (PSM), and other relevant policies and procedures to identify, control, and avoid hazards and risks.

2. Continuous Process Improvement & Project Management:

• Responsible for improving Maintenance and Refrigeration processes; driving innovative solutions and improving existing infrastructure.
• Stay up to date with industry trends, technological advancements, and best practices related to maintenance and refrigeration, and apply this knowledge to train on-site technicians, enhance processes, and drive continuous improvement.
• Develop, track, and maintain project objectives, controls, schedules, including performance and costs.
• Implement, train, and manage computerized maintenance manager system (CMMS) software across the Division.
• Evaluate systems or processes and recommend changes to improve reliability and performance.
• Research and evaluate new technologies and identify opportunities for implementation of those technologies where they may improve products, equipment longevity, and processes.
• Conduct regular assessments of maintenance and refrigeration processes, identify areas for improvement, and recommend and implement enhancements to increase efficiency and reduce downtime, losses, and costs.
• Plan and coordinate special projects related to facility upgrades, equipment installations, and process improvements, ensuring adherence to timelines, budgets, and quality standards.
• Lead or assist in the development and implementation of the identified improvements or changes.

3. Compliance & Communication:

• Creates detailed monthly, quarterly, and annual reports describing Maintenance and Refrigeration activity, initiatives, accomplishments, improvement, and costs, and provides these after-action reports to leadership.
• Leads the implementation of shared maintenance best practices/lessons learned related to equipment and technical ownership, maintenance standards, and technical training of technicians.
• Develop and review Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), technical training guidance, and programs, as needed.
• Communicate effectively with people at all levels of the organization as well as with external contacts.
• Collaborate with suppliers, contractors, and vendors to source equipment, materials, and services required for maintenance activities and special projects.
• Develop and maintain accurate documentation, including maintenance logs, equipment records, project plans, and reports.
• Perform recordkeeping audits per established guidelines; provide detailed follow-up reports.
• Assist with special projects, to include various administrative and research functions.

Additional responsibilities may be assigned as deemed necessary to support the overall goals and objectives of the position.

What you bring to Pacific Seafood

Required:

• Minimum of 10-years related maintenance and refrigeration experience in the food/seafood industry.
• Strong technical knowledge and expertise in maintenance and refrigeration practices, equipment troubleshooting, and repair techniques. Highly knowledgeable of ammonia systems, refrigeration systems, and associated mechanical and electrical systems including but not limited to condensers, compressors, and refrigeration accessories.
• Process Safety Management and maintenance experience.
• High level of computer operating skills; proficient in using Microsoft Office and maintenance management software.
• Excellent problem-solving skills with the ability to analyze complex issues, identify root causes, and implement effective solutions.
• Strong project management skills, including planning, organizing, and coordinating resources to achieve project goals within budget and timeline constraints.
• Effective communication skills with the ability to collaborate and build relationships with cross-functional teams, suppliers, and contractors.
• Knowledge of safety regulations, environmental, HAACP, and BRC standards.
• Ability to adapt to changing priorities, handle multiple tasks simultaneously, and work effectively under pressure.
• Ability to travel up to 75% of the time during peak processing season and up to 50% of time at other times of the year, with the requirement to occasionally work beyond the normal hours and on weekends and holidays, as the projects demand.

Preferred:

• Experience in computer-aided design (CAD) tools and other relevant engineering software.
• Refrigeration Engineers and Technicians (RETA), International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR) Training and Certification and/or similar certifications.

Physical Requirements:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a team member to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the team member:

• Sedentary work, walking and standing are required only occasionally.
• Reaching. Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
• Fingering. Picking, pinching, typing or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling.
• Talking. Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word. Those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Hearing. Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discriminations in sound.
• Close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading.
• Repetitive motion. Substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers.
• Occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Working Conditions:

The working environment characteristics described here are representative of those a team member encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the team member is exposed to:

• Office, as well as warehouse environment.
• Moderate noise level in the work environment.
• Plant exposure to wet, cold, and/or humid temperatures.
• Standard office equipment and heavy machinery.

Benefits

Total compensation:

At Pacific Seafood your base wage is only a portion of your overall compensation package. We invest in our Team Members through a comprehensive and attractive total rewards package, including but not limited to:

• Health insurance benefits options, including medical, prescription, vision, dental, basic group life and short term disability.
• Flexible spending accounts for health flex and dependent care expenses
• 401(k) Retirement Plan options with generous annual company profit sharing match
• Paid time off for all regular FT team members, to include sick days, holiday pay, vacation, and personal time
• Employee Assistance Program- Confidential professional counseling, financial, and legal assistance provided at no charge to Team Members and immediate family members
• Product purchase program

Pacific Seafood is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.