Refrigeration Engineer

Job Title: Senior Utilities & Refrigeration Engineer Job Description
The Senior Utilities & Refrigeration Engineer plays a critical role in the development of a new large-scale manufacturing facility and future utility infrastructure initiatives. In this hands-on engineering role, you serve as the subject matter expert for cooling, refrigeration, heating, and utility systems while leading major capital expansion projects and facility design efforts. You combine deep utility system design experience with practical project execution capabilities and understand how to scale infrastructure to support evolving manufacturing demands in a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment.
Responsibilities
- Lead the design, specification, and implementation of utility infrastructure that supports manufacturing operations.
- Perform detailed cooling load, heating load, and capacity calculations to inform facility design, expansion plans, and long-term infrastructure strategy.
- Develop comprehensive utility strategies for chilled water, refrigeration, steam, boiler, HVAC, and supporting plant systems.
- Evaluate system redundancy, reliability, and future capacity requirements to ensure robust and scalable utility infrastructure.
- Support equipment selection, sizing, and technical evaluation of utility assets to align with performance and efficiency goals.
- Serve as the engineering lead for utility-related capital projects exceeding $50M, ensuring technical integrity and alignment with business objectives.
- Support greenfield facility development, including design review, commissioning, startup activities, and operational handoff to internal teams.
- Coordinate closely with engineering firms, system integrators, contractors, and equipment suppliers to deliver integrated utility solutions.
- Review engineering drawings, technical specifications, and utility system designs to verify compliance with standards and project requirements.
- Ensure utility-related projects are executed safely, delivered on schedule, and completed within budget constraints.
- Provide technical leadership for refrigeration, chiller, cooling tower, and process cooling systems across the facility.
- Support evolving manufacturing needs as product and flavor expansion drives increased cooling and chilling requirements.
- Identify and implement opportunities to improve system efficiency, reliability, and scalability in refrigeration and utility systems.
- Establish standards and best practices for future refrigeration and utility infrastructure to support long-term growth.
- Partner closely with Engineering, Operations, Facilities, Maintenance, EHS, and external contractors to align utility strategies with operational needs.
- Support troubleshooting and root-cause analysis of critical utility systems to restore performance and prevent recurrence.
- Assist in developing operational readiness plans, maintenance strategies, and standard operating procedures for new utility assets.
- Act as a builder and problem solver who drives utility infrastructure strategy while remaining actively involved in project execution.
Essential Skills
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering discipline.
- 10+ years of experience supporting utility infrastructure within manufacturing environments.
- Demonstrated experience designing and sizing utility systems, including performing load calculations and capacity planning.
- Strong hands-on experience with refrigeration systems in industrial or manufacturing settings.
- Extensive experience working with chillers and associated cooling equipment.
- Proficiency with boilers and steam systems used in manufacturing utility networks.
- Experience with HVAC infrastructure, including design, integration, and performance optimization.
- Working knowledge of cooling towers and their role in process and facility cooling.
- Experience with chilled water systems, including design, operation, and capacity scaling.
- Proven track record supporting large capital projects of $50M or more in scope.
- Experience with greenfield facility development, major plant expansion, or large infrastructure projects.
- Demonstrated ability to work directly with contractors, equipment suppliers, system integrators, and engineering consultants.
- Strong project management skills with the ability to lead complex technical initiatives from concept through execution.
- Proven technical leadership capabilities, including guiding cross-functional teams and influencing utility infrastructure strategy.
- Experience in utility system design, plant utilities, and installation within manufacturing environments.
- Background in reliability engineering related to industrial cooling and utility systems.
Additional Skills & Qualifications
- Experience in food and beverage manufacturing environments.
- Industrial refrigeration system design experience, including large-scale cooling applications.
- Background supporting refrigerated manufacturing, cold storage, dairy, ingredient processing, pharmaceutical, or chemical manufacturing operations.
- Startup and commissioning experience for new facilities or major utility systems.
- Familiarity with sustainability and energy efficiency initiatives in utility and refrigeration systems.
- Exposure to wastewater treatment processes, even if not a primary focus of the role.
- Experience with capital expenditures planning and management for plant utilities and refrigeration projects.
- Ability to confidently discuss cooling loads, capacity requirements, equipment selection, redundancy planning, and utility infrastructure expansion with stakeholders.
- Strong problem-solving mindset with a focus on building systems rather than performing routine maintenance.
Work Environment
This role operates within a large-scale, fast-paced manufacturing environment focused on growth and ongoing facility expansion. You work closely with cross-functional teams, including Engineering, Operations, Facilities, Maintenance, and EHS, as well as external engineering firms, system integrators, contractors, and equipment suppliers. The work involves significant engagement with industrial utility and refrigeration technologies such as refrigeration systems, chillers, boilers, steam systems, HVAC infrastructure, cooling towers, and chilled water systems. You will be actively involved in greenfield facility development, major plant expansions, and large capital projects, including commissioning and startup activities. The environment emphasizes safety, reliability, and scalability of utility systems, and values a hands-on engineering approach where you spend time both in the office reviewing designs and on the plant floor overseeing installations and system performance.
Job Type & Location
This is a Permanent position based out of Bellwood, IL.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $150000.00 - $160000.00/yr. Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors. Annual Bonus Eligibility
Hybrid Flexibility
High-visibility role reporting directly to the VP of Engineering
Opportunity to help shape utility and refrigeration strategy for a major greenfield manufacturing expansion
Workplace Type
This is a fully onsite position in Bellwood,IL.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Oct 9, 2026. About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without
regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability,
sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected
by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or
adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability,
please email [email protected] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance:
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the
city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants
with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector:
It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a
condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law
shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):
We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process,
including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications
and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you
acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.