Team Leader Cold Drink Equipment(CDE)

Role Overview

This position focuses on keeping beverage cooling units and cold-drink dispensing equipment running at peak efficiency across the organisation. Day to day, you will service, install, and repair cooling systems across the operational footprint, responding quickly to breakdowns to avoid disruptions to production and distribution. Your work directly supports product quality and customer delivery commitments, making reliable refrigeration uptime a core part of the business’s success.

Key Responsibilities

• Carry out scheduled preventive maintenance and urgent repair work on cold-drink coolers and associated refrigeration systems, ensuring all units remain operational.
• Diagnose electrical and mechanical faults in cooling equipment, using test instruments and hands-on inspection to pinpoint root causes and implement lasting fixes.
• Install new beverage cooling equipment following manufacturer specifications and site-specific requirements, including positioning, connection, and initial calibration.
• Conduct regular site inspections of refrigeration assets to verify compliance with operational safety standards and promptly flag any non-compliance to the appropriate internal teams.
• Maintain accurate service logs for every machine, documenting maintenance histories, replacement parts, performance readings, and recurring issues.
• Prepare and present periodic status reports summarising completed work, outstanding equipment faults, and recommended follow-up actions for supervisory review.
• Coordinate with logistics and distribution teams to schedule repairs so that equipment downtime has the least possible impact on supply-chain activities.
• Provide hands-on technical guidance and training sessions for junior technicians or operational staff who work alongside the cooling equipment.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Diploma in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, or a Mechanical Engineering qualification with a recognized refrigeration specialisation.
• Minimum of three years of hands-on experience as a technician, ideally within a bottling, beverage, or manufacturing environment maintaining cold-drink equipment or commercial coolers.
• Solid understanding of cold-drink equipment operations and the logistics demands of a bottling plant, including the need for minimal downtime during peak production.
• Demonstrated ability to perform both preventive and corrective maintenance on refrigeration systems, including compressor, condenser, evaporator, and thermostat-level diagnostics.
• Working knowledge of applicable safety regulations, refrigerant handling standards, and maintenance best practices for commercial cooling units.
• Proficiency with diagnostic tools such as manifold gauges, multimeters, leak detectors, and temperature-testing instruments.
• Strong troubleshooting mindset capable of resolving complex mechanical, electrical, and control-system faults without excessive trial-and-error.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills to document service activity clearly and coordinate effectively with internal teams.
• High attention to detail in all maintenance tasks, inspections, and record-keeping duties.
• Organisational ability to manage multiple work orders, prioritise emergency callouts, and maintain a consistent maintenance schedule across a fleet of equipment.