Director of Sensory & Distillery Quality Control

Job Description

Job Description:\n\nThis role is based either in Louisville or Bardstown, KY. Frequent travel between our Kentucky locations will be required, along with travel to other Heaven Hill sites as necessary. What the Role Is The Director of Sensory & Distillery Quality Control will lead and institutionalize a world-class, enterprise-wide sensory and quality program across our distilled spirits portfolio. This role carries end-to-end responsibility for sensory strategy, panel governance, distillery quality control, and blending strategy, ensuring products consistently meet brand standards from raw materials through fermentation, distillation, maturation, blending, and bottling.The Director will establish sensory as a core pillar of quality management and decision-making, while integrating microbiological control, fermentation performance, analytical data, process controls, and consumer insights into a unified framework. The role requires deep technical expertise in distilled spirits, particularly across fermentation, maturation, blending, and production systems, strong leadership capability, and the credibility to influence production, maturation, and executive teams.The Director will also provide strategic leadership on blending philosophy and aged whiskey utilization, including long-term sensory and quality strategy for inventory originating from both the Bernheim and Springs distilleries. This role will partner closely with operations, maturation, Brand Teams, and FP&A to optimize blending approaches, protect brand integrity, support inventory management decisions, and maximize the value and consistency of aged inventory. How You Will Spend Your Time? Distilled Spirits Quality Control Leadership Lead quality control programs across all distillery operations, from grain handling through fermentation, distillation, and maturationEstablish and oversee microbiological control strategies across fermentation and processing systemsDefine, implement, and enforce process control standards in partnership with production teamsProvide technical leadership on fermentation performance, contamination risk, and yeast management practicesEstablish sensory and analytical checkpoints throughout the production lifecycle to ensure early detection of deviationsLead root cause analysis and corrective actions for quality issues across sitesLead sensory and quality strategy related to blending and aged whiskey inventory management, including future utilization strategies for whiskey produced at both the Bernheim and Springs distilleriesPartner with operations, maturation, and commercial teams to ensure blending strategies align with brand standards, inventory objectives, and long-term product consistencyOversee new make quality standards, retention programs, and long-term product monitoring Enterprise Sensory Strategy & Governance Design, implement, and continuously improve a company-wide sensory program across all brands and production sitesEstablish standardized sensory methodologies, lexicons, and evaluation protocolsDefine and maintain sensory quality standards aligned with brand profiles and specificationsEnsure alignment between fermentation/process performance and downstream sensory outcomes Panel Development & Oversight Build, train, and maintain high-performing sensory panels across all production facilities and key supply partnersDevelop and implement training, calibration, and requalification programsMonitor and validate panel performance using statistical toolsProvide governance and technical oversight of local sensory panels Statistical Rigor & Data Integration Establish robust statistical frameworks for sensory and in-process QA/QC dataEnsure panel reliability, data integrity, and appropriate interpretation of resultsIntegrate microbiological, fermentation, analytical, sensory, and inventory data into a unified quality decision-making system Consumer Insights Integration Align internal sensory data with external consumer perception and preferenceTranslate insights into actionable guidance for product quality and innovation Team Leadership & Development Build and lead a high-performing sensory and quality organizationDevelop technical talent and succession planningEstablish performance expectations and drive a culture of accountability and rigor Who You Are… Required Skills and Experience: Advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D. preferred) in Microbiology, Fermentation Science, Food Science, Chemistry, or related field Minimum 12 years of experience in sensory science, microbiology, fermentation, maturation, blending, and/or quality leadershipDemonstrated experience building and leading enterprise-level quality and/or sensory programsDeep experience in distilled spirits production, including bourbon and American WhiskeyExpertise in sensory methodologies and statistical analysisStrong background in fermentation, distillation, maturation, blending strategy and flavor developmentExperience with quality systems, process control and continuous improvement methodologiesProven ability to lead and scale technical teamsStrong cross-functional collaboration with operations, R&D, quality, maturation and commercial teamsAbility to translate technical findings into clear business decisionsValid Driver's License Physical Requirements While performing duties of job, employee is occasionally required to: Stand; walk; use hands and fingers to handle, or feel objects, and use of computer; reach with hands and arms. Lift and/or move up to 30 pounds. BenefitsPaid Vacation11 Paid HolidaysHealth, Dental & Vision eligibility from day oneFSA/HSA401K matchEAPMaternity/Paternity Leave Heaven Hill and its affiliates are committed to fostering a diverse workforce as an Equal Employment Opportunity company. We invite applications from candidates of all backgrounds, without regard to race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, natural origin, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic.