Global CO₂ Refrigeration Engineer & Project Lead

Avida Energy; United States; On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Avida Energy is seeking a Refrigeration Engineer to serve as the internal subject-matter expert for CO₂ refrigeration systems, supporting cold rooms and freezers across global facilities.

You will lead design reviews, coordinate with contract engineering and construction firms, and provide on-site technical witnessing to ensure safety, quality, and regulatory compliance throughout the project lifecycle.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline, or equivalent hands-on industrial refrigeration experience.
• 10+ years of refrigeration experience, including direct, hands-on CO₂ refrigeration system design and operation.
• Fundamental refrigeration engineering knowledge — thermodynamics, mass flow, and CO₂ refrigeration design principles, low-temperature psychrometrics.
• Broad working knowledge across the full refrigeration project lifecycle: design, construction, startup, commissioning, operation, and maintenance.
• CO₂-specific experience: familiarity with CO₂ refrigeration vendors and equipment, and a clear understanding of what to watch for during CO₂ system installation and commissioning.
• Working knowledge of refrigeration controls, electrical systems, and networking/communications, PLC technology and refrigeration controls.
• Willingness to travel approximately 30%, as required, for on-site technical witnessing and construction oversight.
• Based in the US; fluent in English with effective written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Serve as internal SME for CO₂ refrigeration and cold room projects, reporting to the refrigeration program leader.
• Translate the company's standard refrigeration specification into project- and site-specific specs.
• Represent the company's technical interests across the full project lifecycle.
• Oversee installation ensuring compliance with specifications and standards.
• Ensure designs and installations meet safety and regulatory requirements.
• Provide on-site technical witnessing at key milestones.
• Make final internal technical calls on design and execution questions.
• Support transition from construction to operations and development of maintenance contracts.
• Work across multiple projects as a program-level resource.
• Drive continuous improvement in cold room design, construction, and operation.

Skills

CO2 refrigeration

Project lifecycle management

Technical liaison

On-site witnessing

Travel readiness

English proficiency

Mechanical reasoning

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

PLC technology

Refrigeration controls

Networking/communications

Job description

Avida Energy is seeking a Refrigeration Engineer to serve as the internal subject-matter expert for CO₂ refrigeration systems, supporting cold rooms and freezers across global facilities.

You will lead design reviews, coordinate with contract engineering and construction firms, and provide on-site technical witnessing to ensure safety, quality, and regulatory compliance throughout the project lifecycle.