Refrigeration Manager

Farmer Focus•Harrisonburg, VA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Refrigeration Manager leads the strategic direction, operational excellence, and regulatory compliance of all refrigeration systems across Farmer Focus facilities. This role is responsible for ensuring the safe, efficient, and sustainable operation of ammonia and freon-based refrigeration systems while fostering a culture of safety, continuous improvement, and technical development within the refrigeration team. The Refrigeration Manager directly oversees the Refrigeration Superintendent and provides guidance to the broader refrigeration team, including leads, technicians, and PSM personnel. This position is instrumental in driving reliability, performance, and compliance with PSM and RMP standards while aligning refrigeration operations with company goals.

Requirements

7+ years of industrial refrigeration experience, including ammonia systems.
3+ years of leadership experience managing teams and complex systems.
CARO certification required; RETA CIRO certification highly preferred.
Strong working knowledge of PSM and RMP regulations and industry best practices.
Proven experience with high-pressure steam boilers, HVAC systems, and compressed air systems.
Excellent communication, leadership, and organizational skills.
Ability to interpret technical documents, schematics, and engineering drawings.
Proficiency in CMMS systems and Microsoft Office Suite.
Bilingual proficiency in Spanish or French is a plus.
The selected candidate must be able to perform the essential functions of the role with or without reasonable accommodation.
New team members must be able to pass a drug, alcohol and background screening post-offer and prior to the start of their employment.
The Immigration Reform and Control Act requires that verification of employment eligibility be documented for all new employees by the end of their third day of work.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Technology, or a related field preferred.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic leadership and oversight of all refrigeration operations across multiple facilities.
Ensure full compliance with Process Safety Management (PSM) and Risk Management Plan (RMP) regulations.
Lead and mentor the Refrigeration Superintendent and support their development of refrigeration leads, technicians, and PSM coordinators.
Develop and implement preventive maintenance programs, standard operating procedures, and emergency response protocols.
Oversee capital projects related to refrigeration, compressed air, and boiler systems.
Collaborate with Safety, Engineering, Production, and other cross-functional teams to ensure refrigeration systems support operational goals.
Monitor system performance and reliability metrics and drive root cause analysis and corrective actions.
Manage vendor relationships, service contracts, and procurement of refrigeration-related equipment and supplies.
Maintain documentation, including P&IDs, compliance records, and training logs.
Lead internal audits and participate in external inspections related to refrigeration and safety systems.
Champion continuous improvement initiatives and Lean principles within the refrigeration function.
Lead Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) and Management of Change (MOC) processes for system changes.