Commercial Refrigeration Project Manager

We are seeking an experienced Commercial Refrigeration Project Manager to manage projects from initial opportunity through final closeout.

This is a full-cycle position with ownership of both the front end and execution of the work. You will develop estimates and proposals, build customer relationships, coordinate awarded projects, manage project financials, and work closely with field teams to deliver successful installations.

We are a privately owned commercial HVAC/R company, and this position offers the opportunity to have a meaningful impact on how our Refrigeration Projects department operates and grows. We are looking for someone who takes ownership of their work, enjoys solving problems, and is excited by the opportunity to help build and improve a department.

What You’ll Do

Estimating, Bidding & Preconstruction

• Review plans, specifications, bid documents, site conditions, and customer requirements.
• Perform takeoffs and develop detailed labor, material, equipment, subcontractor, and project costs.
• Obtain and evaluate vendor and subcontractor pricing.
• Prepare accurate, competitive, and profitable estimates and customer proposals.
• Attend pre-bid meetings and conduct job walks and site surveys as needed.
• Identify exclusions, clarifications, allowances, potential risks, and scope gaps before bid submission.
• Respond to bid invitations, customer requests, and internally generated opportunities.
• Develop conceptual and budgetary pricing when complete construction documents are not available.
• Follow up on proposals, clarify scope, and work with customers to secure awarded work.
• Maintain accurate bid, proposal, and opportunity information within company systems.

Project Management & Execution

• Own awarded projects from contract execution through final closeout.
• Review contracts and confirm final scope, budget, schedule, and project requirements.
• Develop project schedules and installation plans.
• Coordinate refrigeration technicians, foremen, subcontractors, vendors, general contractors, and other trades.
• Plan manpower needs and coordinate field scheduling.
• Procure and track refrigeration equipment, controls, materials, and long-lead items.
• Monitor labor hours, material costs, committed costs, project budgets, billing, and overall job profitability.
• Identify out-of-scope work and prepare change-order pricing promptly.
• Maintain accurate project documentation, including submittals, RFIs, change orders, purchase orders, schedules, and closeout documents.
• Attend project meetings and maintain proactive communication with customers, field teams, vendors, and other project stakeholders.
• Coordinate permitting, inspections, startup, commissioning, and project closeout.
• Identify project risks early and take action to protect schedule, budget, and customer relationships.
• Ensure completed work meets plans, specifications, applicable codes, manufacturer requirements, and company standards.

Who’s Right for This Role?

This position is a great fit for someone who wants to be more than another Project Manager in a large organization. In a privately owned company, your ideas and decisions have a visible impact, and you have the opportunity to help shape how the department operates and grows.

You may be a great fit if you:

• Are a self-starter who sees what needs to be done and takes ownership without waiting for constant direction.
• Enjoy a privately owned, small-company environment where communication is direct and your work makes a noticeable impact.
• Want to help build and improve a department rather than simply inherit an established system.
• Naturally look for ways to improve processes, organization, communication, and project execution.
• Are comfortable wearing multiple hats and moving between estimating, customer communication, planning, problem-solving, and project management.
• Are proactive and identify potential problems before they become emergencies.
• Take ownership of your commitments and follow through.
• Enjoy building long-term relationships with customers, vendors, subcontractors, and field teams.
• Can work independently while collaborating closely with operations, service, field leadership, and company ownership.
• Are comfortable bringing ideas to the table and challenging the way things have always been done when there is a better solution.
• Care about both the customer experience and the financial success of the project.
• Want to grow with a company and play a meaningful role in where the department goes next.

This position is especially well suited for someone who values autonomy, responsibility, and influence and wants to help build a department that is organized, accountable, profitable, and known for taking care of its customers.

Qualifications

• Experience estimating and managing commercial refrigeration installation projects.
• Strong knowledge of commercial refrigeration systems and installation practices.
• Demonstrated ability to develop estimates, proposals, and project budgets.
• Ability to read and interpret construction drawings, specifications, and bid documents.
• Understanding of labor productivity, material pricing, equipment procurement, subcontractor scopes, markups, margins, and job costing.
• Experience managing project financial performance and change orders.
• Strong customer communication, organization, negotiation, and follow-through skills.
• Ability to manage multiple bids and active projects simultaneously.
• Proficiency with estimating, construction/project management software, and Microsoft Office.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to travel to customer and project sites as needed.

Preferred Experience

Experience with supermarket, grocery, cold-storage, food-service, or other commercial refrigeration installations is highly desirable.

Experience with refrigeration racks, condensers, evaporators, walk-ins, controls, piping, startup, and commissioning is preferred.

Compensation

Pay Range: $80,000– $150,000 annually

Compensation will be determined based on relevant commercial refrigeration experience, estimating and project management experience, technical knowledge, and overall qualifications.

Benefits

We offer a competitive benefits package designed to support our employees and their families. Benefits may include:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Retirement plan
• Paid time off
• Paid holidays
• Company-provided tools and technology as applicable to the position
• Vehicle or vehicle allowance as applicable to the position
• Additional company benefits and programs

Specific benefit eligibility, coverage, and plan details will be discussed during the hiring process.

What Success Looks Like

Success in this position means owning the work from opportunity through completion: developing accurate scopes and profitable estimates, building strong customer relationships, coordinating successful installations, capturing changes, managing project financials, and delivering quality work safely and on schedule.

You won’t simply bid projects and hand them off, and you won’t simply manage projects someone else has sold. You’ll have the opportunity to build the work, own the work, and help build the department behind it.

Equal Opportunity Employer

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

We encourage qualified candidates from all backgrounds to apply.

How to Apply

Please send your resume and cover letter, including why you feel you would be a great candidate for this role, to careers@hooverrefrigeration.com.

We look forward to hearing from you.