Refrigeration Supervisor

Houchens Food Group•Bowling Green, KY

About The Position

About Us Houchens Food Group, a subsidiary of the 100% employee-owned Houchens Industries, Inc., is a diversified operator in the grocery, convenience, hardware, and restaurant sectors with a rich heritage of community focus and operational excellence. Founded in 1917, Houchens is proud to be one of the largest 100% employee-owned companies in the United States. Our Mission: Proudly empowering employee-owners, serving customers, and supporting communities. We are seeking a strong operational leader to oversee the execution of refrigeration services and support system reliability. Position Overview The Refrigeration Service Supervisor leads day-to-day refrigeration service execution across a multi-site retail environment, ensuring consistent system performance, timely repairs, and high-quality service delivery. This role is essential to minimizing downtime, protecting product integrity, supporting store operations, and improving emergency response performance while driving down overall repair and maintenance costs through disciplined service oversight, preventative maintenance execution, and strong inventory and purchasing practices. Reporting to the Director of Energy & Refrigeration, the Refrigeration Service Supervisor works closely with store teams, internal departments, and external service partners to ensure refrigeration service needs are addressed efficiently, safely, and in compliance with regulatory and company standards.

Requirements

7+ years of experience in refrigeration service, HVAC, or facilities maintenance (multi-site retail or grocery strongly preferred).
Strong working knowledge of supermarket refrigeration systems, HVAC systems, controls, and service processes.
Demonstrated ability to support cost control through disciplined service oversight, documentation review, and purchasing practices.
Experience with inventory planning, parts management, or materials coordination strongly preferred.
Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to identify patterns, root causes, and corrective actions.
Strong communication and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and urgent service needs.
Proficiency with service documentation, work orders, and invoice review.
EPA refrigeration certification required.

Responsibilities

Service Execution & Operational Oversight Coordinate and oversee refrigeration service activity to ensure rapid response, effective repairs, and minimal system downtime.
Improve response times for emergency service calls and support timely resolution of outages and critical failures.
Prioritize service work effectively by balancing emergency calls, routine repairs, and preventative maintenance needs.
Ensure all work performed meets company standards for safety, quality, documentation, and cost effectiveness.
Monitor recurring service issues, analyze repeat failures, and recommend corrective actions to improve reliability.
Maintain accurate and timely communication with store teams during outages, equipment failures, and repair coordination.
Repair Cost Control, Purchasing & Performance Management Support initiatives to reduce repair and maintenance costs through disciplined oversight, root cause analysis, and repeat-call reduction.
Review and validate service invoices, repair documentation, and contractor scope for accuracy and alignment with pricing standards.
Control expenses through smart purchasing decisions, ensuring parts and materials are sourced efficiently and aligned with company expectations.
Track and report performance metrics including response time, repeat repairs, downtime impact, repair cost trends, and service execution outcomes.
Identify service gaps and partner with the Director of Energy & Refrigeration on process improvement, equipment upgrades, and service optimization.
Inventory & Parts Management Support inventory management practices to ensure critical refrigeration parts and materials are available when needed.
Reduce waste and emergency purchasing by maintaining appropriate stock levels and improving parts planning and usage tracking.
Coordinate with internal teams and service providers to ensure parts are available for scheduled repairs and preventative maintenance work.
Monitor high-usage and high-failure components and make recommendations to improve standard stocking practices.
Preventative Maintenance & Asset Care Support execution of preventative maintenance (PM) programs to extend equipment life and reduce emergency calls.
Ensure PM work is completed on schedule, documented correctly, and stored according to company standards.
Identify chronic equipment failures and recommend long-term repair strategies or capital replacement opportunities.
Coordinate seasonal readiness activities (e.g., summer load performance, defrost reliability, controls performance, condenser maintenance).
Compliance, Safety & Standards Support compliance with refrigeration environmental regulations and company standards, including refrigerant handling, leak tracking, and documentation requirements.
Promote and enforce a strong safety culture across service providers and internal teams.
Ensure work is performed in accordance with applicable codes, regulations, and company policies.
Assist with documentation and reporting requirements related to regulatory compliance and audits as needed.
Team Leadership, Recruiting & Store Support Recruit and support the hiring of qualified refrigeration technicians to ensure service coverage and performance expectations are met.
Build strong partnerships with store leaders, maintenance teams, and operations leadership to improve service outcomes.
Provide support and communication to store teams during outages, emergency repairs, and equipment failures.
Promote a culture of responsiveness, professionalism, and continuous improvement across service channels.
Provide guidance to store teams on service communication protocols and outage response.