Senior Refrigeration & Energy Systems Lead

US Foods; Lawton (OK); On-site; USD 110,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual incentive plan bonus

Health insurance

Retirement benefits

Job summary

US Foods is seeking a Senior Refrigeration Systems Engineer to lead the design, optimization, and lifecycle management of facility and operational refrigeration systems across multiple sites. You will drive reliability, efficiency, and business continuity while guiding cross-functional teams in engineering, maintenance, IT, and operations.

Responsibilities include system standardization, root cause analysis, capital project support, and evaluating new technologies to reduce energy use and cost.

Qualifications

• 5 years of industrial refrigeration or cold chain engineering experience.
• Expertise in ammonia and Freon refrigeration systems, HVAC/mechanical engineering, troubleshooting, and preventive maintenance.
• Experience managing multi-site operations and technical teams.
• Knowledge of OSHA, EPA, PSM, IIAR, energy efficiency and automation.
• Experience with CMMS systems, maintenance planning, and capital project execution.
• Requires >40% travel during initial years, with potential reduction later.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, implementation, optimization, and lifecycle management of facility and operational systems to ensure reliability, efficiency, and business continuity.
• Provide advanced technical expertise and support for infrastructure, automation, controls, mechanical, electrical, and integrated operational systems.
• Partner with Operations, Engineering, Maintenance, IT, EHS, and external vendors to identify and execute system improvements and strategic initiatives.
• Monitor system performance, analyze trends, and develop solutions to improve uptime, reliability, capacity, and operational efficiency.
• Lead root cause analysis efforts for system failures or operational disruptions and implement sustainable corrective and preventive actions.
• Develop and maintain engineering standards, technical documentation, operating procedures, and system specifications.
• Support capital projects, equipment installations, facility upgrades, and expansion initiatives from concept through implementation and startup.
• Evaluate existing systems and recommend modernization strategies, process improvements, and emerging technologies to support operational goals.
• Ensure compliance with safety, environmental, regulatory, and company standards related to system design, operation, and maintenance.
• Collaborate with leadership to develop long-range infrastructure and equipment replacement strategies, including budgeting and capital planning support.
• Serve as a technical resource and mentor to engineering, maintenance, and operational teams.
• Coordinate and manage external contractors, consultants, and vendors to ensure quality execution, project alignment, and cost effectiveness.
• First line escalation support 24/7 between field site in region and HQ leadership teams.
• Support project prioritization, budgeting, vendor selection, commissioning, and operational handoff activities.
• Evaluate emerging refrigeration technologies, sustainability initiatives, and energy reduction opportunities.

Skills

Industrial refrigeration

Root cause analysis

Troubleshooting

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Finance or related field

RETA CIRO Certification

Professional Engineer (PE) license

EPA Section 608 Certification

Tools

CMMS platforms

Job description

US Foods is seeking a Senior Refrigeration Systems Engineer to lead the design, optimization, and lifecycle management of facility and operational refrigeration systems across multiple sites. You will drive reliability, efficiency, and business continuity while guiding cross-functional teams in engineering, maintenance, IT, and operations.

Responsibilities include system standardization, root cause analysis, capital project support, and evaluating new technologies to reduce energy use and cost.