Distillery Assistant Manager

Build your career at Sazerac! With almost 400 years of rich history, Sazerac Company has thrived as an independent, American family-owned company with operations in the United States and around the world. Since the 2000s, Sazerac has averaged double digit growth every year! Sazerac Company produces and markets the most award-winning bourbons and whiskeys in the world, including Buffalo Trace, Pappy Van Winkle, Eagle Rare, Blanton’s, Traveller, and Sazerac Rye. Additionally, Sazerac owns many popular brands across a range of spirits, including Fireball, Svedka, Wheatley, BuzzBallz, Southern Comfort, Seagram’s V.O., Myers’s, Goldschläger, Parrot Bay, 99 Brand, and Platinum Vodka.

We’re proud of our award-winning culture and distilleries. Our Louisville office has been named one of the “Best Places to Work in Kentucky” four times, and our Buffalo Trace Distillery has earned the title of “world’s most award-winning distillery” through the dedication of our craftsmen for well over 200 years. Whether you’re a recent graduate or an experienced professional, Sazerac provides extraordinary opportunities for growth with competitive salaries and benefits in an exciting, entrepreneurial industry.

Responsibilities:

The Assistant Distillery Manager helps lead distillery operations and drive continuous improvement across grain handling, mashing, fermentation, and distillation—while developing talent, strengthening SOPs, and upholding the highest standards of safety, quality, efficiency, and compliance.

• Lead day-to-day operations of the distillery, ensuring production targets, yields, and quality standards are consistently achieved
• Collaborate with Maintenance teams to ensure proper operation of fermentation tanks, stills, boilers, chillers, pumps, and related equipment
• Support preventative maintenance programs and capital projects, including equipment upgrades and expansion. Establish and manage short- and long-term capital needs. Oversee project scope and timing while coordinating with production requirements
• Monitor production metrics, yields, efficiencies, and energy usage, drive improvements through data analysis and industry best practices
• Lead initiatives to reduce waste, improve throughput, and enhance consistency across operations
• Lead a robust safety culture by overseeing the Distillery safety program, ensuring timely completion of work orders, and verifying that all employees receive required training
• Foster a collaborative and empowered work environment that supports self-directed teams, strong employee relations, and full compliance with Collective Bargaining Agreement
• Ensure full compliance with OSHA, EPA, TTB, and all applicable regulatory requirements for distillery operations
• Produce high-quality products while maximizing productivity, reducing costs, and driving operational improvements
• Support new business development with innovative methods and product ideas

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree
• Minimum of 5 years of leadership experience
• Proven leadership experience, with a focus on safety and performance
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, capable of interacting at all levels of the organization
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) and knowledge of ERP systems
• Strong analytical and organizational skills
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple projects
• Professionalism and discretion with confidential information

Preferred:

• Minimum of 10 years of leadership experience
• Prior leadership experience in distillation, fermentation, production, or operations management (preferably in spirits or manufacturing)
• Experience with systems like System 21, AS400, and Access databases
• Strong knowledge of safety management, regulatory compliance (OSHA, EPA, TTB), and quality assurance
• Experience in project management and driving process improvements

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