Sr. Refrigeration Controls Engineer

US Foods•Rosemont, IL

2d•$100,000 - $160,000•Hybrid

About The Position

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.

Requirements

5 years of experience supporting industrial refrigeration and controls systems in food distribution, cold storage, food manufacturing, or industrial operations.
Direct experience with ammonia refrigeration systems.
Experience in highly automated, temperature-controlled, or 24/7 operational environments.
Strong knowledge of Process Safety Management (PSM) and Risk Management Program (RMP) compliance requirements.
Demonstrated experience in system troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and operational problem-solving within industrial refrigeration environments.
Experience supporting capital projects, including system upgrades, expansions, commissioning, and equipment optimization initiatives.
Proficient in interpreting and developing P&IDs, technical specifications, and engineering documentation.
Strong understanding of asset reliability, preventative maintenance strategies, and energy optimization practices.
Familiarity with OSHA and EPA requirements.
PLC/Automation experience in Rockwell, Siemen, Allen Bradley as well as SCADA and HMI interfaces.
Bachelor’s degree in Electrical/Mechanical Engineering or related technical discipline

Nice To Haves

Certified Controls Engineer (CCE)
Certified Automation Prof. (CAP) or CCST
Professional Engineer (PE) license or Certified Automation Engineer with combination of experience
Experience supporting Freon, C02 and or Ammonia refrigeration systems.
Experience in food distribution, cold storage, manufacturing, or logistics environments.
Experience supporting multi-site operations.

Responsibilities

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Other duties as assigned by manager.