Sensory Scientist

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, and Sazerac Rye. Additionally, Sazerac owns many popular brands across a range of spirits, including Fireball, 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.

The Sensory Scientist partners closely with Sazerac’s Product Development team to advance new product innovation and key business initiatives. Working collaboratively with Brand Management and Consumer Insights, this role combines scientific rigor with creative problem-solving to develop alcoholic beverages that meet or exceed consumer expectations. The Sensory Scientist designs, executes, and interprets internal and external sensory testing and leads initiatives related to cost optimization, formulation improvement, and supply-chain performance. This position ensures product quality and sensory consistency while delivering measurable business value.

Key Responsibilities

• Strengthen organizational effectiveness by developing talent, providing ongoing feedback, and coaching team members to build knowledge, skills, and performance capabilities
• Apply sensory data and insights to support brand strategy, new business initiatives, and product lifecycle management, contributing to long-term portfolio growth
• Advance and continuously improve the Sensory Program by standardizing and executing robust sensory methodologies across product development, plant quality, distillation, and supplier partnerships
• Lead sensory-driven initiatives that support fiscal year growth by increasing sales and/or reducing costs while maintaining a high-quality consumer experience
• Ensure product consistency through effective sensory matching to reduce quality and supply-chain risk and minimize customer complaints
• Partner cross-functionally with Brand Management, Consumer Insights, and external stakeholders to apply rigorous sensory testing throughout development and commercialization
• Build strong professional relationships across internal teams and external partners while modeling company values and positive leadership behaviors
• Coordinate with internal and external stakeholders—including Senior Sensory Scientist, Brand, and Procurement—to plan and execute testing that supports supply-chain optimization and value engineering without compromising sensory quality

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Must Have

• Minimum 5 years of relevant experience
• Bachelor’s degree in food science, chemistry, statistics, data science, or a related field
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Ability to communicate effectively across all organizational levels
• Experience in the alcoholic beverage or beverage or food industry
• Ability to work collaboratively and independently
• Strong planning and organizational skills
• Proven ability to manage multiple concurrent projects
• Demonstrated sensory aptitude
• Experience in advanced predictive modeling and statistical analysis
• Strong initiative, leadership mindset, and drive to succeed
• Comfort operating in evolving environments and building new processes and teams
• Experience with Compusense or similar programs

Preferred

• Change management experience
• Master’s degree in a related field

Physical Requirements

• Ability to lift and/or move objects up to 50 pounds without assistance
• Ability to distinguish flavors through taste and smell
• Ability to identify and distinguish colors
• Moderate office noise environment (business office setting)
• Ability to travel up to 25%
• In-person job attendance required

A career at Sazerac offers you the opportunity to reach your full potential as part of a creative, decisive, high-performance team. Sazerac values the needs and wants of our team members and offers inclusive benefits to attract and retain the best talent. Our culture is built upon the values of hard work, diligence and personal responsibility.

Sazerac Team Members enjoy:

• Competitive Pay
• Comprehensive Benefits from Day One including medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance.
• Family Coverage: Options to cover family members, including domestic partners.
• 401(k) Plan: Immediate access to a matching 401(k) plan.
• Flexible Time Away: Enjoy paid time off (PTO), holidays, and parental leave.
• Mental Health and Wellness: Access to mental health care and wellness incentive programs.
• Educational Support: Benefit from tuition reimbursement and our scholarship program for dependents of Sazerac team members.
• Fun Extras: Enjoy branded apparel, fun events, and a team member bottle purchase program.
• Training and Development: Opportunities for professional growth and development.

Benefits, salary range, and programs may vary by role or location. For roles within our commercial team - the Salary range refers to base salary only and does not include car allowance, annual bonus, fuel or cell phone reimbursement. Please ask your Talent Acquisition Partner for more information about our total rewards package. Sazerac is committed to equality of opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, veteran status, age, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, physical or mental disability or any other legally protected status.