Foodservice Equipment Technician

Location: Springfield, IL

M. J. Kellner is a locally owned broadline food service distributor. We have everything a commercial kitchen needs to operate. We sell to restaurants, nursing homes, hospitals, and schools within a 125-mile radius of Springfield. We have been serving central Illinois for more than 100 years and are proud members of this community. Bill Kellner, our third-generation owner, did not have a 4th generation to carry on the family legacy, so he initiated an Employee Stock Ownership Plan in 2013.

On October 31, 2021, the company became 100% employee owned. This is at no cost to our employees and is a very generous retirement benefit for us to look forward to and work hard for every day. We come to work each day to exceed all of our customers' food service needs and to be their most trusted and reliable partner.

The Food Service Equipment Technician is responsible for installing, maintaining, modifying, servicing, and repairing commercial food service equipment.

• Troubleshoots and fixes a wide range of kitchen appliances, including ovens, grills, refrigerators, and fryers
• Sets up new equipment and ensures proper configuration and safety compliance
• Performs scheduled inspections and maintenance to prevent breakdowns and makes recommendations regarding parts changes or system overhaul
• Maintains logs of repairs, service requests, and equipment manuals
• Interacts with restaurant staff to explain equipment issues and provide operational guidance
• Monitors truck stock and ensures necessary tools and parts are available
• Provides support during off‑hours, holidays, and special events
• Organizes all work details (work performed, service recommendations, parts used, etc.) and completes an accurate work order for billing purposes
• Maintains good working order of company vehicle, including cleaning and organizing
• Diagnoses diverse service issues, obtains any replacement parts, and repairs systems to manufacturer’s recommendations
• Communicates to the client what the issue is and what is needed to correct it using terms they can understand
• Participates in company‑provided training opportunities and attends technical classes necessary to maintain level of knowledge needed to perform required tasks safely and efficiently
• Identifies and reports potential opportunities for additional business
• Assists the Director of Chemical/Beverage/Equipment as needed
• Other duties as assigned
• Customer Focus
• Mechanical and electrical troubleshooting skills
• Ability to Problem Solve
• Time Management/Organizational Skills
• Ethical Conduct

This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

This job operates in warehouse, restaurant, kitchen, food service facilities, and office settings. In these settings, it is often difficult to regulate temperature, so extreme heat and cold may be experienced. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets, and fax machines. It also requires the use of hand tools, meters, gauges, and safety equipment.

The physical demands described here represent those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, sit, use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls, reach with hands and arms, climb, talk or hear. This position is very active and requires standing, walking, bending, kneeling, stooping, crouching, crawling, and climbing all day.

The employee must occasionally lift or move office products, supplies, and machinery weighing from 10 pounds to 100 pounds.

This is a full‑time, non‑exempt position. Days and hours of work are Monday‑Friday, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm. This position sometimes requires long hours and weekend work.

Daily travel within a 150‑mile radius of Springfield, IL is expected for this position.

• High school diploma or equivalent
• Vocational/technical program of instruction certification
• Commercial refrigeration and appliance experience

• 2 or more years’ experience as a service technician or related customer service role

A valid driver’s license and a clean driving record are required.

M.J. Kellner Co., Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) according to Title 44, Ill. Administrative Code, and Subpart C Section 750.150.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, and responsibilities required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time.