Start-Up Technician - Retrofit

Company Background:

We are 24 (and growing) market-leading operating companies that deliver unmatched HVAC, mechanical, refrigeration, plumbing, and electrical solutions. We are actively building the nation's preferred technical service partnership for commercial MEP+ ecosystems, empowering industrial, commercial, and institutional clients—including Fortune 500 companies and other industry leaders across the United States—with reliable, innovative service. Learn more about us at www.kelso-industries.com

Retrofit Technology is hiring a Start-Up Technician to own commissioning and start-up of nearly every system we install — then hand it to the customer running clean, documented, and fault-free.

This is not an entry-level service job. You are the last line of defense between our install crews and a callback. You verify the install, fire the equipment, chase down every fault, tune it in, document everything, and walk the owner through what they just bought. Most of our jobs are more than 50 miles from the shop, so regular overnight travel is part of the job.

Title: Start-Up / Commissioning Technician Reports to: [Service Manager] Location: [Bloomington, CA] — field-based, regional travel Type: Full-time, non-exempt

About Retrofit Technology. Commercial HVAC contractor in business since 1989, part of Kelso Industries since 2023. We don't do new construction. We put modern mechanical systems — chillers, cooling towers, boilers, pumps, VFDs, air handlers, package units, splits, and water source heat pumps — into existing occupied buildings. That means tight mechanical rooms, live facilities, demanding owners, and zero tolerance for sloppy start-ups.

Key responsibilities

Pre-start verification

• Review submittals, IOM manuals, sequences of operation, and wiring diagrams before arriving on site.
• Walk the install before energizing: rigging, piping, flow direction, isolation, strainers, vents/drains, electrical terminations, phasing, grounding, and controls wiring.
• Generate a punch list for install crews and confirm items are corrected before start-up.

Start-up and commissioning

• Perform manufacturer-compliant start-up on centrifugal, screw, and scroll chillers (water- and air-cooled), cooling towers, hydronic and condensing boilers, domestic water heaters, pumps, VFDs, heat exchangers, air handlers, fan coils, package RTUs, split systems, and water source heat pumps.
• Verify voltage, amperage, phase balance, rotation, and motor/VFD parameters.
• Measure and set refrigerant charge, superheat/subcooling, oil levels, and operating pressures.
• Verify water-side flow, delta-T, and delta-P; coordinate with TAB contractors when involved.
• Perform combustion analysis and set burners/gas trains on boilers and water heaters.
• Program and verify VFDs and unit controllers; confirm BAS points, alarms, and safeties actually work — not just that they exist.
• Coordinate factory start-ups and warranty registrations with manufacturer reps.

Troubleshooting

• Diagnose and clear electrical, refrigeration, hydronic, combustion, and controls faults on first visit whenever possible.
• Read ladder and wiring diagrams; use meters, gauges, combustion analyzers, and laptop/service tools to isolate root cause.
• Escalate install defects with clear evidence (photos, readings, specific fix) instead of vague complaints.

Documentation and handoff

• Complete manufacturer start-up forms, internal checklists, and commissioning reports — accurate, legible, same week.
• Capture readings, photos, nameplate data, and setpoints in our field software and job files.
• Train building engineers and owners on operation and basic maintenance.
• Feed lessons learned back to project managers and install crews so the same mistake doesn't show up on the next job.

Required qualifications

• 7+ years of commercial HVAC service or start-up experience, including hands-on work on chillers and boilers. Residential-only experience does not qualify.
• Demonstrated ability to start up and troubleshoot at least four of: chillers, cooling towers, boilers, package RTUs, split systems, water source heat pumps, VFDs.
• EPA 608 Universal certification.
• Strong electrical troubleshooting: 480V/3-phase power, control circuits, motors, starters, and VFDs.
• Comfortable with digital controls and laptops — connecting to unit controllers, navigating BAS front ends, and using manufacturer service software.
• Clean, thorough paperwork. Can write a start-up report a customer and a PM can both understand.
• Professional communication with owners, facility engineers, GCs, and manufacturer reps.
• Willing to travel regularly, including overnights, beyond a 50-mile radius.
• Valid driver's license and clean driving record; able to pass a background check and drug screen.
• Physically able to work in mechanical rooms, on roofs, and on ladders/lifts in all weather.

Preferred qualifications

• Factory training from Trane, Carrier, York/JCI, Daikin, McQuay, Smardt, Lochinvar, Aerco, Cleaver-Brooks, or similar.
• Prior role as a dedicated start-up, commissioning, or factory service technician.
• Journeyman or state/local HVAC, refrigeration, or boiler license as applicable in [State].
• Familiarity with BACnet, Niagara/Tridium, or major BAS platforms.
• Combustion analysis certification or equivalent boiler training.
• Experience on occupied-building retrofits where downtime windows are tight.
• Union background welcome [delete if not applicable].

Why Join Us?

We're committed to attracting talented individuals who seek a company with a strong foundation of success and an outstanding culture. We proactively provide competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and clear pathways for career advancement with autonomy and flexibility in an entrepreneurial environment.

Learn more about us at www.kelso-industries.com

We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We do not discriminate in any aspect of employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, age, veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local employment discrimination laws where Kelso does business.