Maintenance Operations Leader, Spirits Distillation & Packaging

Sazerac Company

Frankfort, KY

JOB DETAILS
SKILLS
Beverages, Brewing, Budgeting, Business Administration, Calendar Management, Capital Project, Coaching, Collective Bargaining, Commissioning, Communication Skills, Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS), Consumer Packaged Goods, Continuous Improvement, Distribution Warehousing, Environmental Management, Equipment Maintenance/Repair, GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices), Inventory Management, Leadership, Lean Manufacturing, Maintain Compliance, Maintenance Services, Manufacturing, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Word, Organizational Development/Management, People Management, Preventative Maintenance, Problem Solving Skills, Project Lifecycle, Project/Program Management, Quality Metrics, Reliability Engineering, Safety Engineering, Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), Team Lead/Manager, Warehousing, Writing Skills
LOCATION
Frankfort, KY
POSTED
2 days ago

Why This Role, Why Now?

Buffalo Trace Distillery—America’s longest-running bourbon distillery on the Kentucky River—produces legends like Pappy Van Winkle, Blanton’s, Eagle Rare, and Buffalo Trace Bourbon. As part of Sazerac, we’re scaling fast while honoring a legacy recognized with 300+ awards and 17 Distillery of the Year titles.

Is This You?

  • Do you thrive leading skilled trades and building high-performance, safety-first teams?
  • Can you push asset uptime past 95% using preventive, predictive, and data-driven maintenance?
  • Are you fluent with CMMS, MTTR, MTBF, and capital project lifecycles?
  • Do you enjoy hands-on problem solving in a fast-paced manufacturing setting?

Your Mission

  • Own maintenance strategy and execution across distillation, barrel warehousing, and distribution—plan, schedule, budget, and deliver
  • Lead up to 10 maintenance technicians—coach performance, close skill gaps, and cultivate leadership
  • Optimize work order flow and CMMS utilization to reduce downtime and improve reliability
  • Engineer safety into every task; collaborate with the Safety Department and ensure contractor compliance
  • Run capital projects and new installs from design through commissioning; author and cost-justify CARs
  • Maintain SOPs for MRO inventory and PM scheduling; uphold GMP and quality standards
  • Advance 5S practices and embed continuous improvement across the team
  • Support a positive, self-directed culture aligned with Sazerac values and Collective Bargaining Agreements

Work Environment & Schedule

  • Active plant presence required with flexibility for evenings, weekends, and on-call response
  • Physical activity includes extended standing, stair/ladder climbing, bending, kneeling, and work in varied conditions
  • High-ownership culture focused on rapid problem resolution

Qualifications We Value

(Includes a mix of required and preferred credentials.)

  • 5–10 years in maintenance management
  • Background in distilling, brewing, or CPG manufacturing; alcohol beverage experience
  • Bachelor’s degree; MBA/advanced degree a plus
  • History of achieving 95%+ equipment uptime
  • Leadership of skilled trades teams (union experience a plus); union environment management
  • Proficiency with CMMS/work order systems
  • Organizational development experience
  • Project management from concept to commissioning
  • 5S/Lean manufacturing experience
  • MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) proficiency
  • Strong communication with all organizational levels
  • Ability to work on-site with standing, climbing, and bending

Core Skills

  • Leadership / People Management
  • Project Management
  • Preventive Maintenance & Inspection
  • Warehouse Experience
  • Distribution Experience
  • Maintenance and Repair Skills
  • Equipment Repair & Maintenance

About the Company

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Sazerac Company