Job Description

Position Title: Maintenance & Refrigeration Lead

Location: Covina, CA

Pay: $80,000 - $115,000 + Bonus + 5K Sign-on

Position Summary:

The Maintenance & Refrigeration Lead is a critical leadership role responsible for overseeing the Maintenance and Refrigeration teams to ensure the safe and efficient operation of all utilities and production equipment across the facility. This includes systems such as refrigeration (preferably ammonia), cogeneration, boilers, compressed air, and water. The Lead is accountable for daily maintenance scheduling, troubleshooting, safety oversight, team leadership, and coordination of both corrective and preventative maintenance. This role also serves as a hands-on technical expert and liaison between maintenance and production operations.

What You Will Do:

Team Leadership & Oversight

• Supervise refrigeration mechanics, coil cleaners, cogen operators, and maintenance technicians.
• Lead passdown meetings and ensure alignment across shifts.
• Assign, coordinate, and follow up on daily work schedules and emergency repairs.
• Monitor team compliance with lunch/breaks and shift safety procedures.
• Support evaluations and development plans for maintenance team members.
• Reallocate technicians as needed to meet changing priorities.

Maintenance & Utilities Operations

• Perform and assign preventive and corrective maintenance on all utilities systems: refrigeration, steam, water, air compressors, and cogeneration equipment.
• Diagnose mechanical and electrical issues, troubleshoot systems, and execute repairs or upgrades.
• Ensure uptime of critical equipment by implementing lifecycle management best practices.
• Pull and report data for regulatory agencies (e.g., SCAQMD).
• Maintain wrench time at 95% or above; ensure accurate and timely entry in CMMS.

Planning, Scheduling & Documentation

• Work with planners to scope, kit, and assign work orders.
• Prioritize safety and regulatory compliance tasks.
• Manage parts procurement, quotes, and inventory tracking.
• Support planning calendars and ensure labor and parts readiness for future jobs.
• Review and verify work orders for completeness, accuracy, and timeliness.
• Ensure full utilization of CMMS systems for maintenance tracking and metrics reporting.

Facilities & General Maintenance

• Support facility services and minor building moves or repairs.
• Assign and coordinate vendor or contractor work for high-complexity tasks.
• Perform general building upkeep: electrical, plumbing, pneumatic, machining.
• Assist with inspections and internal/external audits.

Safety, Compliance & Training

• Enforce GMP, PPE, HACCP, sanitation, and plant safety protocols.
• Conduct lock-out/tag-out procedures and routine safety inspections.
• Train and develop technicians to support food safety and OSHA compliance.
• Ensure all personnel complete required technical and safety training.

Minimum Qualifications:

• High school diploma or GED
• Physically able to lift 40 pounds repeatedly
• +10 years of refrigeration maintenance experience (preferably ammonia-based)
• Strong understanding of utilities equipment including cogen systems
• Experience with team leadership and technical supervision
• Willingness to work overtime and weekends as required

Job Tags

Similar Jobs