Engineer II-Refrigeration

The Wittern Group; Clive (IA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k with Company Match

Medical

Dental

Vision

Disability

Life Insurance

PTO

Job summary

The Wittern Group is seeking a Refrigeration Engineer II to design, validate, and support refrigeration and cooling systems for vending equipment. You’ll develop circuits, control algorithms, and testing protocols, driving cross‑functional collaboration with manufacturing, quality, and service teams.

You will conduct thermal analyses, lead test planning, and document specifications, drawings, and validation reports while mentoring junior engineers and interns to improve engineering processes and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Refrigeration Engineering, or related; master’s preferred.
• 3–6 years refrigeration systems experience; demonstrated engineering contributions in product development, testing, validation, or production support.

Responsibilities

• Design, validate, and support refrigeration and cooling systems and test systems for vending equipment.
• Perform thermal cabinet analysis and sealed-system performance analysis for design decisions.
• Develop refrigeration circuits, control algorithms, and system components.
• Troubleshoot and validate refrigeration performance during prototypes, pilots, and production transitions.
• Support field and production refrigeration issues in coordination with manufacturing and service organizations.
• Develop verification and validation test plans for DOE/NAMA performance requirements and product approval.

Skills

Design ownership

Thermal analysis

Test planning & execution

Engineering documentation

Design reviews & mentoring

Cross-functional collaboration

Risk assessment & mitigation

Engineering process improvement

Mentorship of interns

SolidWorks usage

Infor or similar PLM/CAE

FEA/simulated design

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Refrigeration Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

Infor or similar software

FEA tools

Job description

Brief Description

• Design, develop, and test insulation, heating, and refrigeration system architecture for vending equipment.
• Perform thermal cabinet analysis and sealed-system performance analysis to support product development and design decisions.
• Design refrigeration circuits, control algorithms, refrigerant selections, and system components for new and existing products.
• Develop refrigeration systems that meet DOE, NAMA, product performance, reliability, cost, and manufacturing requirements.
• Troubleshoot and validate refrigeration system performance during prototype builds, pilot builds, and production transitions.
• Support resolution of field and production refrigeration issues in coordination with manufacturing, quality, engineering, and the Vendnet service organization.
• Support refrigeration design activities for new product development and continuous improvement projects.
• Evaluate refrigeration design changes and recommend improvements to performance, efficiency, reliability, manufacturability, and serviceability.
• Support refrigeration test chambers, data acquisition systems, instrumentation, and test equipment used for development and validation activities.
• Develop and execute verification and validation test plans for refrigeration development, validation, DOE/NAMA performance requirements, and product approval.

Required Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

• Demonstrated ability to design, analyze, and implement modules, subsystems, or functional elements with increasing ownership from requirements through design, verification, release, and support.
• Strong engineering analysis skills, including thermal analysis, electrical troubleshooting, system modeling, trade studies, tolerance analysis, and FMEA.
• Ability to define test plans, lead test execution, analyze results, and drive corrective actions.
• Ability to create clear engineering documentation, including specifications, drawings, test protocols, validation reports, and technical recommendations.
• Ability to conduct design reviews and mentor engineering staff on technical challenges, best practices, and refrigeration system knowledge.
• Ability to work effectively with manufacturing, test, quality, procurement, production, and service teams to support manufacturability, assembly, supply chain alignment, and component selection.
• Ability to identify, communicate, and help mitigate technical risks; propose alternatives; and support project planning.
• Commitment to improving engineering processes, tools, methods, and standards.
• Ability to guide interns, co‑ops, and junior engineers as needed.
• Skilled in Solidworks and Infor or similar packages required. FEA and simulated design experience a plus.

Benefits Include

• 401k with Company Match
• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Disability
• Life Insurance
• PTO

Requirements

Education and Experience

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Refrigeration Engineering, or a related discipline required; master’s degree preferred. Three to six years of refrigeration systems experience is preferred, along with a demonstrated record of engineering contributions in product development, testing, validation, or production support.

Summary

The Refrigeration Engineer II is responsible for designing, validating, and supporting refrigeration and cooling systems and test systems used in vending and related equipment. This role is intended for an engineer who has developed a solid technical foundation and is ready to take increasing ownership of product design, verification, documentation, and cross‑functional problem solving.