Sr Manager, Fridge Operations

Company: Farmer's Fridge Careers
Location: Chicago
Posted on: February 17, 2026

Job Description:

Job Description Job Description Farmer’s Fridge makes fruits and vegetables accessible and approachable for everyone. We offer a variety of fresh, healthy, ready-to-eat meals and snacks through our fresh food vending machines, wholesale partners, and our office pantry solution — providing chef-curated meals to customers within seconds. Today, we operate a network of Fridges and partner with clients nationwide in high-foot-traffic areas, such as airports, hospitals, universities, and large office buildings — where there is limited accessibility to fresh, healthy, grab-n-go options. We care deeply about what we’re creating and aspire to make sure our customers feel that through every touchpoint. This shows up in many ways across the business. We are committed to prioritizing food safety, we are passionate about product quality, we value our employees, we champion the best idea no matter where it comes from, and we’re committed to making an overall positive impact as we scale. About this Role: The Sr Manager, Fridge Operations will lead the full lifecycle of our 1,800 and growing network of smart fridges nationwide. You will own the entire fridge supply chain, including procurement, buildouts, maintenance, deployment strategy, installation execution, relocations, removals, and asset and parts inventory management. As the leader, you will oversee the team responsible for fridge deployment and inventory coordination and provide leadership and support to the national service technician function. The role works cross-functionally with Distribution, Sales, Channel Management, Food Safety, IT, and Fridge Tech partners to ensure seamless launches and a consistent, high-quality experience in every market. What You’ll Do… Develop and execute the strategic plan for fridge operations, ensuring alignment with growth, uptime expectations, and cost targets. Maximizing the uptime and reliability of the existing fleet Enabling business growth by ensuring fridges are ordered, built, and placed at the pace Sales wins new deals Manage the full deployment pipeline, including procurement, inventory positioning, build scheduling, and installation planning, to ensure fridge capacity keeps pace with sales growth. Own uptime performance across the fridge network using trend data and analytics to proactively identify and resolve reliability risks while improving cost-to-serve. Lead uptime workstreams focused on solving the highest-impact downtime drivers and ensuring improvements are rolled out consistently across the fleet. Oversee national fridge and parts inventory, including forecasting, asset tracking, warehousing, and parts usage optimization. Provide leadership and guidance to the service technician function and service manager, supporting a culture of safety, accountability, and high performance. Ensure reliable, accurate maintenance data to strengthen operational reporting and decision-making. Partner with Sales and Channel Management on launch planning, site readiness, and priority account support. Partner with Distribution to ensure fridges are placed, serviced, and supported effectively across all hub-and-spoke markets. Manage vendor and third-party partner performance, including contracts, sourcing, and issue resolution. Improve overall fridge reliability by addressing recurring equipment issues and deploying root-cause solutions across the fleet. Maintain regulatory and safety compliance and uphold consistent field standards in all markets. Own budgeting, invoice accuracy, spend controls, and financial performance for all fridge operations activities. Who You Are… Minimum of 7 years of experience in operations, logistics, field service, or distributed equipment management. Proven leadership experience managing field-based or geographically distributed teams. Strong operational and financial acumen with experience managing functions that drive P&L performance. Ability to analyze operational data and turn insights into measurable improvements. Excellent communication skills and ability to build strong relationships across technical and commercial teams. Demonstrated change management and continuous improvement leadership. Experience with vendor management or equipment lifecycle programs preferred. High emotional intelligence with strong judgment and reliability under pressure. The Ideal Candidate: You are an owner who takes accountability for every fridge in the network—including where it goes, how it performs, and what it costs to operate. You build strong teams, implement scalable processes, and balance speed, reliability, and efficiency without sacrificing customer experience. You thrive in dynamic operational environments where hardware, logistics, and field execution intersect. You prevent disruptions before they occur, fix problems at the root, and enable the business to grow with confidence. The base salary range for this role is $140,000 - $150,000. The base pay offered will be determined by factors such as experience, skills, training, certifications, education, and any applicable minimum wage requirements. In addition to base salary, this position is eligible for company performance-based bonuses and equity. We provide a comprehensive benefits package, including: Medical, dental, and vision insurance (multiple plans available) 401(k) with immediate employer match vesting Paid time off (including vacation, sick leave, and holidays) Paid sabbatical after 5 years of service Employee discounts Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Benefits at Farmer's Fridge: In This Together - We stay connected, whether in person or virtually. We encourage business transparency through monthly town hall meetings and weekly financial updates. We set out to make the best product on the market, and we believe we’ve done it. We value your input in the new menu creation process. From regular tasting panels, where employees provide new menu feedback. Happier Workdays - Each day at work should fill you with joy. We're a fun and passionate group, and we don't take ourselves too seriously. Bring your unique self to work, dress comfortably, and always feel free to share your thoughts and opinions. We encourage curiosity; there's no hierarchy here when we're all swapping ideas. Never run on empty - Daily Farmer's Fridge meal and office snacks are just some of the offerings to make sure you aren't distracted by a growling stomach. Recharge with our paid sabbatical program after five years of service. Innovate & Elevate - We're all teachers and learners. You'll grow and help grow the company through cross-functional collaboration, open access to leadership, and regular business updates. You have a direct impact on the company’s bottom line. You can also impact your bottom line by participating in our 401(k) plan that includes a company match with immediate vesting. Farmer’s Fridge Diversity Statement: "Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Farmer’s Fridge, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.” Farmer’s Fridge is an equal-opportunity employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunity in all employment practices, including hiring, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. View our disclosures related to External Agencies and Applicants below: https://www.farmersfridge.com/careerdisclosures Powered by JazzHR GdYUX0Gxum

Keywords: Farmer's Fridge Careers, Tinley Park , Sr Manager, Fridge Operations, IT / Software / Systems , Chicago, Illinois