Sr. Refrigeration Controls Engineer (Remote)

US Foods; Rockford (IL); Remote; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

US Foods is seeking a Senior Refrigeration Controls Engineer to design, program, and optimize industrial refrigeration control systems across distributed facilities. This role leads PLC/HMI/SCADA strategies and ensures safe, energy-efficient operation of ammonia and Freon systems across multiple sites.

This remote position supports facilities nationwide, offering collaboration with IT, cybersecurity, and cross-functional teams to standardize controls architecture and commissioning plans.

Qualifications

• Experience designing industrial refrigeration control systems.
• Knowledge of ammonia (NH3) and Freon refrigeration systems.
• Experience with OSHA PSM, EPA RMP, IIAR and related food-safety regulations.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, programming, commissioning, troubleshooting, and optimization of refrigeration control systems.
• Support controls infrastructure for NH3 and Freon systems including compressors, condensers, evaporators, vessels, pumps, valves, and defrosts.
• Develop and maintain PLC, HMI, SCADA, and BAS control strategies for refrigeration operations.
• Monitor and optimize system performance, energy efficiency, alarm management, and temperature compliance.
• Troubleshoot complex refrigeration controls, instrumentation, and automation failures impacting operations.

Skills

Refrigeration controls

PLC programming

SCADA

HMI

Energy optimization

Root cause analysis

Tools

Rockwell/Allen-Bradley

Siemens

Job description

ARE YOU A CURRENT US FOODS EMPLOYEE? PLEASE APPLY DIRECTLY THROUGH OUR INTERNAL WORKDAY CAREER SITE

Join Our Community of Food People!

The Senior Refrigeration Controls Engineer is responsible for the design, programming, optimization, and support of refrigeration control systems across food distribution and cold storage facilities. This role ensures safe, reliable, and energy-efficient operation of temperature-controlled environments supporting perishable food logistics. The position provides technical leadership in controls architecture, automation strategy, troubleshooting, and system standardization across multiple sites.

This position is virtual/remote which means the work can be completed from anywhere is the United States except Hawaii or United States Territories.

Responsibilities

Refrigeration Controls & Automation

• Lead the design, programming, commissioning, troubleshooting, and optimization of industrial refrigeration control systems.
• Support controls infrastructure for ammonia (NH3) and Freon refrigeration systems including compressors, condensers, evaporators, vessels, pumps, valves, and defrost systems.
• Develop and maintain PLC, HMI, SCADA, and building automation system (BAS) control strategies for refrigeration operations.
• Monitor and optimize refrigeration system performance, energy efficiency, alarm management, and temperature compliance.
• Troubleshoot complex refrigeration controls, instrumentation, and automation failures impacting facility operations and product integrity.

Operational Reliability & Compliance

• Ensure refrigeration systems operate safely and in compliance with OSHA PSM, EPA RMP, IIAR, and applicable food safety regulations.
• Support process hazard analysis (PHA), management of change (MOC), and refrigeration safety management programs.
• Lead root cause analysis of investigations for refrigeration system failures, operational incidents, and recurring equipment issues.
• Support emergency response planning and operational readiness for refrigeration-related incidents.
• PLC Experience – Rockwell, Allen Bradley, Siemens.
• SCADA/Network Controls

Controls Systems & OT Infrastructure

• Support industrial control system architecture including PLCs, HMIs, SCADA systems, VFDs, instrumentation, and industrial networking.
• Manage integration between refrigeration systems, facility monitoring systems, warehouse automation systems, and enterprise platforms.
• Support industrial communication protocols including Ethernet/IP, Modbus, BACnet, and OPC.
• Partner with IT and cybersecurity teams to maintain secure and reliable OT environments.

Capital Projects & System Improvements

• Lead refrigeration controls engineering activities for capital projects, facility expansions, retrofits, and modernization initiatives.
• Develop technical specifications, control narratives, sequence of operations, and commissioning plans.
• Coordinate activities with refrigeration contractors, OEMs, system integrators, and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Support startup, commissioning, and operational handoff of new refrigeration and automation systems.

Continuous Improvement

• Identify opportunities to improve refrigeration system reliability, uptime, energy usage, and operational efficiency.
• Utilize operational data and analytics to support predictive maintenance and system optimization strategies.
• Standardize refrigeration controls architecture, engineering documentation, and best practices across facilities.
• Mentor junior engineers, technicians, and maintenance personnel on refrigeration controls systems and troubleshooting methodologies.
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