B2B Smart Fridge Field Operations Manager

CookUnity•New York, NY

4d•$80,000 - $90,000•Hybrid

About The Position

CookUnity’s B2B Smart Fridge network is scaling quickly, and we need a hands-on operations owner who can make sure every fridge, hardware kit, installation, and maintenance workflow is launch-ready and reliable in the field. This role owns the physical and technical readiness of Smart Fridge expansion: building and preparing fridges, managing hardware inventory, coordinating shipments and installers, validating systems before launch, and creating the documentation needed to make the process repeatable across markets. This is a field-operations role, not a purely strategic launch role. The ideal person is comfortable moving between a warehouse, a client site, a vendor call, a tracker, and a technical troubleshooting conversation.

Requirements

3-6+ years of experience in field operations, warehouse operations, installation coordination, facilities, hardware deployment, technical logistics, or physical infrastructure rollout.
Willingness and ability to travel up to 25% of the time to support installations, troubleshooting, vendor management, and field operations.
Comfort working hands-on with equipment, hardware, tools, vendors, and field teams.
Experience coordinating contractors, installers, carriers, or maintenance partners.
Strong organization across trackers, inventory logs, invoices, POs, and vendor follow-up.
Ability to troubleshoot operational and technical issues without needing every step defined in advance.
Clear communication style with strong follow-through: what happened, why it happened, impact, owner, next step, and proof.
Ability to create practical SOPs, checklists, and training documents that teams can actually use in the field.
Willingness to travel regularly and work in warehouse/client-site environments.

Nice To Haves

Experience with vending, smart fridges, retail hardware, appliances, IoT devices, cold-chain operations, facilities, or field-service networks.
Experience with connectivity devices, temperature sensors, camera systems, Raspberry Pi or similar hardware, QR/access systems, or operational dashboards.

Responsibilities

Build, prepare, and audit Smart Fridge units before deployment.
Assemble and maintain hardware kits for launches, including OptConnect, GlacierGrid, Raspberry Pi, CV equipment, cables, shelf pushers, labels, decals, and related components.
Maintain inventory of fridges, hardware, spare parts, and launch materials.
Track serial numbers, device IDs, on-hand stock, incoming equipment, and reorder needs.
Receive and test new equipment before it is used in the field.
Ensure each fridge and kit has a clear checklist before it is wrapped, shipped, or handed to an installer.
Coordinate fridge shipments, freight, local moves, removals, and returns.
Coordinate build crews and installation partners.
Build and maintain a reliable network of local installers in key markets.
Confirm physical site readiness in partnership with Launch and Sales teams, including power, placement, access, permits, building approvals, and installation constraints.
Ensure fridges are installed with the correct hardware, branding, labels, sensors, connectivity, and dashboard setup.
Complete post-install validation before handoff.
Manage and maintain required Smart Fridge tools, dashboards, and logs, including OptConnect, GlacierGrid, Fraiche Dashboard, Raspberry Pi Connect, Rackbeat, and related trackers.
Validate that each deployed fridge is correctly mapped across systems.
Test connectivity, temperature monitoring, QR/access setup, CV camera readiness, locks, screens, and transaction flow.
Partner with Tech and Engineering teams to troubleshoot hardware issues and test new equipment or workflows.
Document issues, fixes, and repeatable processes so they can be used by future installers and operators.
Coordinate maintenance work for active Smart Fridge units.
Track maintenance tickets, open issues, resolution status, and proof of completion.
Review and verify invoices tied to installs, freight, repairs, hardware, and contractor work.
Track cost per installation and maintenance cost by fridge, vendor, and market.
Flag risks early when parts, vendor availability, cost, or timing may impact a launch.
Support the first days of newly launched fridges by confirming hardware, systems, inventory flow, and field execution are stable.
Communicate clear post-install updates with status, blockers, owners, costs, photos/proof, and next steps.
Partner with Smart Fridge Ops on any early escalations before handing the location into BAU ownership.
Create and maintain SOPs, launch checklists, training materials, and field guides.

Benefits

Health Insurance coverage
401k Plan
Eligible for a bi-annual performance bonus
Unlimited PTO
5- year Sabbatical: After 5 years with CookUnity, you get a 4-week paid sabbatical
Paid Family leave
Compassionate Leave: 3-5 days each time the need arises
A generous amount of CookUnity credits to enjoy our amazing meals, added to your account, monthly
AI-forward workplace: enterprise access to ChatGPT and Claude to help you work smarter and grow faster.
Wellness perks: access to fitness subsidies to build a healthy lifestyle
Personalized Spanish coach
Awesome opportunity to join a company that is looking to change how we eat and how chefs work!