Background information about the job or company (e.g., role context, company overview)

Refrigeration Engineer Job at Biyinzika Poultry

Biyinzika Poultry

Department: Maintenance/Engineering

Reports To/ Direct Supervisor: Maintenance Manager

Indirect/Functional Supervisor: Operations Director

Duty station: Uganda (Kigunga Farm)

Key Working Relationships (Non-Supervisory):

• Fleet Mechanics.
• Senior Maintenance Planner
• External Refrigeration Specialists / OEM Service Agents

Job purpose:

The Refrigeration Engineer is the organization’s highest technical authority on all matters relating to refrigeration, cold-chain systems, and reefer truck equipment. Reporting to the Maintenance Manager, this role is responsible for ensuring the continuous reliability, performance, and regulatory compliance of all refrigeration units fitted to the reefer truck fleet.

Operating at a senior specialist level, the engineer leads the preventive and corrective maintenance of all refrigeration systems — from stand-alone refrigeration units (RUs) to integrated cold-chain monitoring systems. The role demands an expert-level understanding of refrigeration thermodynamics, refrigerant management, electrical control systems, and cold-chain compliance requirements relevant to the Ugandan operating environment and applicable food safety standards. Beyond hands-on technical work, the Senior Refrigeration Engineer acts as a technical mentor to the fleet mechanic team, develops refrigeration maintenance standards and procedures, and provides engineering input into equipment procurement and the farms expansion decisions. Their sign-off on a reefer unit’s readiness is the guarantee that the cold chain will be maintained for all processes

Responsibilities or duties

Refrigeration System Preventive Maintenance

• Design, implement, and manage the Preventive Maintenance Schedule (PMS) for all refrigeration units, ensuring services are completed at correct intervals per manufacturer specifications.
• Carry out comprehensive refrigeration services including; refrigerant level checks and top-ups, compressor oil changes, condenser and evaporator coil cleaning, belt and pulley inspection/replacement, filter drier replacement, defrost system checks, and temperature controller calibration.
• Inspect and maintain all refrigerant containment components — hoses, fittings, service valves, and seals — to minimize refrigerant leakage and ensure environmental compliance.
• Verify and document temperature pull-down performance for each reefer unit before dispatch to confirm it meets the required set-point within the specified time.

Fault Diagnosis & Corrective Repairs

• Diagnose and repair complex refrigeration system faults including; compressor failures, condenser/evaporator coil blockages, refrigerant leaks, expansion valve malfunctions, electrical control board faults, and defrost system failures.
• Use refrigerant manifold gauges, leak detectors, digital thermometers, clamp meters, and OEM diagnostic software to accurately characterize system faults before committing repairs.
• Carry out refrigerant recovery, recycling, and recharging operations in compliance with environmental regulations governing refrigerant handling (HFCs, HFOs).
• Diagnose and repair the electrical and electronic control systems of TRUs, including microprocessor controllers, sensors, wiring harnesses, and alarm systems.
• Respond to field refrigeration breakdowns, attending the site where necessary or providing expert remote guidance to drivers and mechanics to safeguard the cold chain.

Cold-Chain Compliance & Temperature Management

• Ensure all reefer units are calibrated and verified to maintain required temperature ranges (chilled: 0°C to +5°C; frozen: -18°C and below, or as specified per consignment).
• Collaborate with the Telematics Officer to monitor remote temperature data and investigate any in-transit temperature excursions, documenting findings and corrective actions.
• Maintain temperature calibration certificates and service logs for each reefer unit, ensuring records are available for customer, regulatory, or food safety audits.
• Advise operations and dispatch teams on pre-cooling requirements, set-point configurations, and cargo loading practices that support cold-chain integrity.

Technical Standards, Procedures & Engineering Input

• Develop and maintain refrigeration maintenance standard operating procedures (SOPs), inspection checklists, and technical guidelines for use by the maintenance team.
• Provide engineering recommendations to the Maintenance Manager and Production Teams on reefer unit replacement, upgrade, or capital overhaul decisions
• Review and evaluate specifications for new refrigeration equipment acquisitions, ensuring suitability for the Ugandan operating environment (ambient temperatures, road conditions, load profiles).
• Stay current with developments in refrigeration technology, refrigerant regulations, and cold-chain best practices; introduce improvements where appropriate.

Mentoring, Training & Knowledge Transfer

• Provide structured technical guidance and on-the-job training to technicians on refrigeration fundamentals, safe refrigerant handling, and basic servicing tasks.
• Conduct toolbox talks on refrigeration safety, refrigerant handling procedures, and cold-chain compliance awareness for drivers and mechanics.
• Document technical knowledge in the form of maintenance guides, fault-finding flowcharts, and repair references accessible to the wider maintenance team.

Documentation, Reporting & Parts Management

• Maintain a comprehensive refrigeration maintenance register covering each RU: service history, fault log, refrigerant charge records, calibration history, and component replacement log.
• Complete and submit accurate job cards for every refrigeration repair or service, reconciling parts usage and labour hours before equipment release.
• Prepare and submit monthly refrigeration performance reports to the Maintenance Manager, covering system uptime, fault trends, refrigerant consumption, and KPI performance.
• Manage refrigerant gas stock, spare parts inventory, and specialist tool calibration in coordination with procurement and stores.

Qualifications or requirements (e.g., education, skills)

For a Ugandan-trained professional, the following qualifications are required or preferred:

Minimum Academic Qualifications:

• Diploma in Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related field from a recognized Ugandan institution — including Uganda Technical Colleges, Kyambogo University, Makerere University, or NITA-U accredited polytechnics.
• A Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Refrigeration & HVAC Engineering, or Chemical Engineering is strongly preferred for the senior grade of this role.

Professional / Technical Certifications (Required or Preferred):

• Certification in Refrigeration & Air Conditioning from a recognized body — e.g., City & Guilds (Refrigeration & Air Conditioning), ASHRAE affiliate training, or equivalent internationally recognized qualification.
• Refrigerant Handling Certificate — demonstrating competency in t

• Design, implement, and manage the Preventive Maintenance Schedule (PMS) for all refrigeration units, ensuring services are completed at correct intervals per manufacturer specifications.
• Carry out comprehensive refrigeration services including; refrigerant level checks and top-ups, compressor oil changes, condenser and evaporator coil cleaning, belt and pulley inspection/replacement, filter drier replacement, defrost system checks, and temperature controller calibration.
• Inspect and maintain all refrigerant containment components — hoses, fittings, service valves, and seals — to minimize refrigerant leakage and ensure environmental compliance.
• Verify and document temperature pull-down performance for each reefer unit before dispatch to confirm it meets the required set-point within the specified time.
• Diagnose and repair complex refrigeration system faults including; compressor failures, condenser/evaporator coil blockages, refrigerant leaks, expansion valve malfunctions, electrical control board faults, and defrost system failures.
• Use refrigerant manifold gauges, leak detectors, digital thermometers, clamp meters, and OEM diagnostic software to accurately characterize system faults before committing repairs.
• Carry out refrigerant recovery, recycling, and recharging operations in compliance with environmental regulations governing refrigerant handling (HFCs, HFOs).
• Diagnose and repair the electrical and electronic control systems of TRUs, including microprocessor controllers, sensors, wiring harnesses, and alarm systems.
• Respond to field refrigeration breakdowns, attending the site where necessary or providing expert remote guidance to drivers and mechanics to safeguard the cold chain.
• Ensure all reefer units are calibrated and verified to maintain required temperature ranges (chilled: 0°C to +5°C; frozen: -18°C and below, or as specified per consignment).
• Collaborate with the Telematics Officer to monitor remote temperature data and investigate any in-transit temperature excursions, documenting findings and corrective actions.
• Maintain temperature calibration certificates and service logs for each reefer unit, ensuring records are available for customer, regulatory, or food safety audits.
• Advise operations and dispatch teams on pre-cooling requirements, set-point configurations, and cargo loading practices that support cold-chain integrity.
• Develop and maintain refrigeration maintenance standard operating procedures (SOPs), inspection checklists, and technical guidelines for use by the maintenance team.
• Provide engineering recommendations to the Maintenance Manager and Production Teams on reefer unit replacement, upgrade, or capital overhaul decisions
• Review and evaluate specifications for new refrigeration equipment acquisitions, ensuring suitability for the Ugandan operating environment (ambient temperatures, road conditions, load profiles).
• Stay current with developments in refrigeration technology, refrigerant regulations, and cold-chain best practices; introduce improvements where appropriate.
• Provide structured technical guidance and on-the-job training to technicians on refrigeration fundamentals, safe refrigerant handling, and basic servicing tasks.
• Conduct toolbox talks on refrigeration safety, refrigerant handling procedures, and cold-chain compliance awareness for drivers and mechanics.
• Document technical knowledge in the form of maintenance guides, fault-finding flowcharts, and repair references accessible to the wider maintenance team.
• Maintain a comprehensive refrigeration maintenance register covering each RU: service history, fault log, refrigerant charge records, calibration history, and component replacement log.
• Complete and submit accurate job cards for every refrigeration repair or service, reconciling parts usage and labour hours before equipment release.
• Prepare and submit monthly refrigeration performance reports to the Maintenance Manager, covering system uptime, fault trends, refrigerant consumption, and KPI performance.
• Manage refrigerant gas stock, spare parts inventory, and specialist tool calibration in coordination with procurement and stores.

• Expert-level understanding of refrigeration thermodynamics
• Refrigerant management
• Electrical control systems
• Cold-chain compliance requirements
• Technical mentoring
• Development of maintenance standards and procedures
• Engineering input into equipment procurement
• Refrigeration system preventive maintenance
• Fault diagnosis and corrective repairs
• Refrigerant handling (HFCs, HFOs)
• Electrical and electronic control systems of TRUs
• Cold-chain compliance and temperature management
• Technical standards and procedures development
• Mentoring and training
• Documentation and reporting
• Parts management

• Diploma in Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related field from a recognized Ugandan institution — including Uganda Technical Colleges, Kyambogo University, Makerere University, or NITA-U accredited polytechnics.
• A Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Refrigeration & HVAC Engineering, or Chemical Engineering is strongly preferred for the senior grade of this role.
• Certification in Refrigeration & Air Conditioning from a recognized body — e.g., City & Guilds (Refrigeration & Air Conditioning), ASHRAE affiliate training, or equivalent internationally recognized qualification.
• Refrigerant Handling Certificate — demonstrating competency in t