Kitchen Equipment Repair Lead

Kitchen Equipment Repair Lead

The Kitchen Equipment Repair Lead oversees daily repair, maintenance, and service needs for commercial food service equipment and facilities across the district. This role coordinates repair schedules, troubleshoots complex mechanical, electrical, refrigeration, and digital/smart kitchen systems, prioritizes emergency service requests, and ensures district kitchens remain safe, fully operational, energy-efficient, and compliant with health codes and district standards. The Kitchen Equipment Repair Lead guides repair staff, collaborates with kitchen managers, administrators, and vendors, maintains accurate digital records in the Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS), and ensures repairs are executed efficiently with minimal disruption to child nutrition programs.

Essential Functions

• Technical Leadership & Operations
• Team Supervision & Communication
• Safety, Compliance & Facility Inspections
• Administration, Logistics & Inventory

Required Knowledge and Skills

• Comprehensive knowledge of commercial food service equipment
• Knowledge of modern smart kitchen technology
• Knowledge of advanced refrigeration troubleshooting
• Knowledge of preventive maintenance methodologies
• Knowledge of applicable building codes, fire codes, sanitation standards, OSHA/UOSH standards, and NFPA guidelines relevant to commercial kitchens
• Knowledge of computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS), inventory tracking, and digital work order administration
• Knowledge of safe vehicle operation, heavy equipment handling, and job-site safety practices
• Strong leadership skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Required Education and Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent
• One of the following licenses or certifications: Utah State Journeyman Electrician License, Utah State Journeyman Plumber License, HVAC Journeyman Certification/License, EPA 608 Universal Refrigeration Certification, valid Driver's License
• One of the following experience combinations: Two (2) years of supervisory or lead experience in one of the required trades, plus two (2) years of journey-level experience. Six (6) years of journey-level experience in one of the required trades. Four (4) years of experience directly diagnosing and repairing commercial kitchen equipment, plus a valid journey-level license/certification in one of the required trades.

Assigned Decision Making

• Prioritizes emergency service calls versus routine work orders to maintain daily food service operations.
• Determines technical troubleshooting methodologies and appropriate repair procedures.
• Evaluates whether repair scope can be handled in-house or requires specialized external vendor support.
• Red-tags and removes unsafe or non-compliant equipment from service immediately.
• Authorizes parts and material purchases within established district purchasing thresholds.
• Recommends capital replacement when equipment repairs exceed cost-effective thresholds or endanger safety.
• Adjusts technician schedules and assignments to resolve emergency system outages.
• Verifies completed work meets code compliance, manufacturer specifications, and department standards.

Supervisory Responsibility

• Leads, assigns, and coordinates the daily work activities of kitchen repair technicians and maintenance staff.
• Sets work schedules, duty rotations, and emergency response assignments.
• Provides technical mentorship, safety training, and operational guidance.
• Monitors work quality, productivity, and adherence to safety policies and codes.
• Conducts work order reviews and ensures complete documentation in the CMMS.
• Participates in recruitment, interviewing, onboarding, performance feedback, and corrective coaching.
• Promotes a culture of safety, ensuring strict adherence to LOTO, PPE, and sanitation standards.

Working Environment

• Works in active K-12 commercial kitchens, cafeterias, boiler rooms, maintenance shops, and refrigeration units.
• Frequently exposed to high heat, live steam, gas lines, noise, food grease, wet/slippery floors, cold storage rooms, and chemical cleaners.
• May work in confined spaces, at elevated heights (ladders/scaffolding), or around high-voltage electrical panels.
• Requires regular travel between district schools and facilities.
• Requires adherence to strict hygiene, sanitation, personal protective equipment (PPE), and Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) protocols.
• May require early morning, evening, weekend, or on-call emergency response.

Physical Demands

• Lifting & Carrying: Must frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 100 lbs.
• Movement & Position: Frequent standing, walking, bending, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, reaching, and working in awkward or tight physical spaces to perform equipment repairs.
• Coordination & Fine Motor Skills: Requires fine motor dexterity, hand-eye coordination, and visual acuity to safely operate diagnostic meters, power tools, hand tools, small component repair equipment, and digital tablet devices.