Utilities & Refrigeration Maintenance Supervisor

NEW ANGUS LLC•Aberdeen, SD

1d•Onsite

About The Position

DemKota Ranch Beef is seeking an experienced, leadership-driven Utilities & Refrigeration Maintenance Supervisor to oversee our facility’s critical utility infrastructure, operations, and specialized industrial refrigeration systems. This multi-focus supervisory role is directly responsible for leading the safe, compliant, and efficient operation of our high-pressure steam (boilers, air compressors, water systems) and our extensive, unique industrial Freon-based refrigeration infrastructure critical to heavy process cooling. The supervisor will lead a 24/7 team of powerhouse utilities technicians and specialized Freon refrigeration operators, coordinating preventive maintenance (PM) schedules, managing technical logs, and ensuring maximum operational uptime to support our production, harvest, and fabrication floors.

Requirements

High School Diploma or GED required.
Minimum of 5 years of hands-on maintenance experience in industrial utilities, with at least 2–3 years in a leadership, supervisory, or lead technician role.
EPA Section 608 Universal Refrigerant Handling License (Required).

Nice To Haves

Technical degree, trade school certificate, or formal apprenticeship in industrial refrigeration or mechanical maintenance strongly preferred.
Prior experience managing high-capacity industrial Freon or utility systems in a meat packing or heavy food processing facility is highly preferred.
State, Municipal, or National High-Pressure Boiler Operator / Stationary Engineer License preferred.
Deep technical comprehension of high-pressure boilers, industrial rotary screw air compressors, high-tonnage industrial Freon systems (DX and flooded), high-voltage electrical diagnostics, and motor control systems.
Proficiency with CMMS software.

Responsibilities

Supervise, schedule, train, and mentor a diverse team of powerhouse utility technicians and specialized industrial Freon refrigeration technicians across a 24/7 continuous operation.
Foster a strong culture of safety, ensuring team adherence to Lockout/Tagout (LOTO), Confined Space Entry, Fall Protection, and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) protocols.
Evaluate technician performance, coordinate technical skills development training, and manage labor hours to optimize operational efficiency.
Direct the daily operation, inspection, troubleshooting, and precision repair of the facility's massive high-capacity industrial Freon-based refrigeration infrastructure, including compressors, condensers, evaporators, pumps, and motors.
Oversee advanced mechanical and electrical diagnostics on the refrigeration equipment, including high-voltage diagnostics, complex motor control systems, split systems, localized coolers, and automated controls.
Ensure strict compliance with EPA refrigerant handling regulations, ensuring meticulous tracking, logging of refrigerant use, leak detection protocols, and logbook maintenance.
Review and accurately interpret technical manuals, advanced system diagrams, and complex refrigeration/electrical schematics to guide technicians through overhauls and piping modifications (welding/soldering).
Oversee the operation, mechanical maintenance, and safety of high-pressure boilers, deaerators, feedwater pumps, and steam distribution systems.
Manage the plant’s compressed air systems, including industrial rotary screw air compressors, inline filtration, and refrigerated air dryers.
Direct the water treatment program, monitoring makeup water systems, water softeners, and reverse osmosis (RO) systems to eliminate scaling and piping corrosion.
Ensure strict maintenance, inspection, and mechanical optimization of chilled water spray systems (including nozzles, headers, solenoids, and booster pumps) in the hot boxes and carcass storage coolers.
Actively manage chilled water delivery through routine plant rounds to control and minimize carcass shrinkage while beef is being stored prior to hitting the fabrication floor for production.
Plan, prioritize, and assign preventive maintenance (PM) and corrective work orders through the Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) across all utility and Freon sectors.
Troubleshoot complex mechanical, thermal, and hydraulic system issues alongside technicians to minimize production downtime and protect product yield.
Manage utility parts inventory, source critical vendor components, and oversee external contractors during specialized maintenance shutdowns.