Cold Chain Lead

About the role

The Cold Chain Lead will design, implement and manage refrigeration infrastructure that supports Keep IT Cool’s poultry, fisheries and value‑addition operations in Kenya. Reporting to senior management, you will ensure temperature integrity, energy efficiency and compliance with food‑safety standards across all cold‑chain assets.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and execute the company’s cold‑chain strategy, from concept and budgeting through to commissioning.
• Lead design of scalable cold‑storage solutions, including cold rooms, blast chillers, freezers and ice plants.
• Oversee day‑to‑day operation of refrigeration assets, monitor performance, and implement preventive and predictive maintenance programmes.
• Maintain a comprehensive asset register and lifecycle management plans, recommending capital replacements as needed.
• Monitor electricity consumption, evaluate solar‑powered refrigeration and other renewable energy options to reduce operational costs.
• Ensure food‑safety compliance by establishing temperature‑monitoring protocols, supporting HACCP and FSSC 22000 audits, and investigating any cold‑chain failures.
• Prepare technical input for grant, donor and investor proposals requiring cold‑chain expertise.
• Lead and develop a technical team, fostering capability in refrigeration engineering and asset management.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechatronic, Mechanical or Electrical Engineering.
• Minimum five years’ experience managing refrigeration or cold‑chain infrastructure.
• Proven track record delivering engineering projects from concept to commissioning.
• Experience leading technical teams and managing industrial refrigeration assets.
• Project‑management certification (PMP, PRINCE2) is highly desirable.
• Holding a T2 Solar PV License or equivalent solar‑installation certification.

Required skills

• Industrial refrigeration
• Asset management
• Preventive and predictive maintenance
• Solar‑powered refrigeration systems
• Renewable energy solutions
• Temperature monitoring and control
• HACCP compliance
• FSSC 22000 food‑safety standards
• Project management (PMP/PRINCE2)