Refrigeration Technician job description
The Refrigeration Technician installs, services and repairs cold rooms, freezers, chillers and display cabinets used by food businesses. They keep cold storage steady so stock stays safe and saleable.
Why the role exists
A Refrigeration Technician looks after the cold chain at a dairy, ice cream unit, restaurant group, bakery or cold storage site. They report to the maintenance or engineering head and respond to breakdowns, plan servicing and protect stock worth far more than the equipment.
What the person does
- Carry out scheduled servicing of compressors, condensers, evaporators and fans on cold rooms and freezers.
- Respond to temperature alarms and breakdown calls, find the fault and restore cooling quickly.
- Check refrigerant levels, leaks, door seals, defrost cycles and drain lines during each visit.
- Read temperature logs and data loggers and flag drifting rooms before stock is affected.
- Test and replace electrical parts such as contactors, thermostats and relays, working with the site electrician.
- Install and commission new display chillers, deep freezers and blast chillers at kitchens and outlets.
- Keep a service history for each unit and tell the manager when repair costs suggest replacement.
- Follow isolation and gas handling safety steps and keep tools and gauges in working order.
Skills and tools
- Compressor, condenser and evaporator fault finding
- Refrigerant handling, leak checks and charging with gauges
- Reading wiring diagrams and testing electrical parts
- Knowledge of cold rooms, blast chillers and display cabinets
- Use of digital thermometers and data loggers
- Preventive maintenance planning and service logs
- Safe working at height, on live panels and with gas cylinders
- Quick decisions during breakdowns that threaten stock
Education and experience
Preferred, never a bar: equivalent experience counts.
- ITI or diploma in refrigeration and air conditioning preferred, or equivalent experience.
- Experience on commercial refrigeration in food, dairy or cold storage is preferred.
- Electrical or gas handling licences or certificates depend on the employer, state and facts; confirm with your own adviser.
- Ability to read basic drawings and keep service records.
How the work is judged
- Cold room and freezer uptime and speed of breakdown response
- Stock losses linked to equipment failure
- Completion of planned servicing on schedule
- Repeat faults on the same unit after repair
- Safe working record and quality of service logs
Where the role can lead
- Senior refrigeration technician or service team lead.
- Maintenance supervisor covering utilities and food machinery.
- Cold chain engineer or service contractor for several sites.
Interview questions to ask
Ask every candidate the same questions in the same order and score them against written anchors, so the decision rests on the work and not the impression.
- A cold room is rising in temperature at night with full stock. What do you check and in what order?
- How do you tell a failing compressor from a blocked condenser?
- Describe how you find a slow refrigerant leak on a display chiller.
- How do you decide whether to repair or replace an old freezer?
- Tell us about a breakdown you fixed under pressure and what you told the owner.
- What safety steps do you follow before working on a live control panel?
Hiring tips for this role
- Test with a fault scenario on paper or on a real unit. Listen to the order of checks, not only the final answer.
- A common mistake is hiring an air conditioning technician for cold room work. Commercial refrigeration needs different experience.
- Ask about night and holiday call-outs. Cold storage cannot wait until morning, so on-call terms must be clear.
- Confirm licences or certificates claimed with the issuer. Requirements depend on your facts, so check them with your own adviser.
Questions about hiring a refrigeration technician
They service and repair cold rooms, freezers and chillers, respond to alarms and keep cold storage steady. Their work protects stock and helps the business pass hygiene checks.
Not always. Comfort cooling and commercial refrigeration differ in temperature range, defrost systems and controls. Ask for experience on cold rooms, freezers or chillers specifically.
This depends on the employer, state and facts, especially for electrical and gas work. Confirm what applies with your own adviser and ask to see anything the candidate claims.
Yes. GullyHR supports permanent hiring. We agree the job description with you, find and screen candidates with commercial refrigeration experience and support you through the offer. We do not verify credentials.
Hiring a refrigeration technician?
GullyHR runs talent acquisition for permanent roles. We agree the job description with you, find and screen candidates against it, and support the offer through to joining. We recruit permanent employees. We do not supply contract or temporary staff.