Bourbon Rickhouse Operations Supervisor

Job Description

Job Description

Shape the future of America’s bourbon—one barrel at a time

At Buffalo Trace Distillery—our family-owned National Historic Landmark in Franklin County, Kentucky—we’ve honed a distilling legacy since 1787. As the most award-winning distillery in the world, we pair time-honored craft with modern production to deliver world-class hospitality and exceptional spirits.

Morning begins in the rickhouse yard. You review the schedule, align with union team leads, and confirm barrel movements in the inventory system. Forklifts hum as you coordinate whiskey in and out of aging warehouses, verify counts, and check quality holds. Midday, you walk the floor—reinforcing safety, solving bottlenecks with maintenance, and coaching teammates. Afternoon brings cycle counts, production goal checks, and process-improvement huddles. You close the day ensuring compliance, capturing learnings, and setting up tomorrow for success.

• Supervise daily barrel warehouse operations and union personnel while cultivating teamwork, accountability, and an unwavering safety-first mindset.
• Coordinate barrel and whiskey movements using inventory and tracking systems; manage inventory control, cycle counting, and warehouse logistics to meet production schedules and departmental goals.
• Champion safety and quality: drive initiatives that uphold personal safety, food safety, environmental, and quality standards; protect the highest standards of whiskey handling and maturation.
• Partner with maintenance to troubleshoot equipment and operational challenges; identify efficiency gains and spearhead or support continuous improvement projects.
• Work closely with the Barrel Warehouse Manager to build leadership, operational, and technical capabilities; gain experience across team management, production operations, and regulatory compliance.

• Lead a high-impact team responsible for thousands of aging barrels.
• Develop your leadership toolkit alongside seasoned operations leaders.
• Solve real operational challenges and implement process improvements.
• Thrive in a historic distillery where tradition meets modern systems.
• Build a long-term path in operations leadership.

Required

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Strong communication and leadership abilities.
• Excellent organization and planning skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook).
• Passion for safety, quality, and continuous improvement.
• Ability to collaborate across operations and maintenance teams.

Preferred

• 3–5 years in manufacturing, warehouse, or operations environments.
• Exposure to Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or other continuous improvement tools.
• Familiarity with OSHA, FDA, and TTB standards.
• Interest in building a long-term career in operations leadership.

Our warehouses are active industrial settings. You’re comfortable:

• Lifting up to 50 lbs.
• Working 8+ hour shifts with occasional overtime.
• Operating in loud, humid environments around moving equipment.
• Maintaining strong attention to detail and quality standards.

• Leadership / People Management
• Warehouse Experience
• ERP & MRP Systems

Every barrel tells a story—and some won’t be poured for 10, 15, or even 20+ years. If you’re ready to lead teams, improve operations, and steward excellence at Buffalo Trace Distillery, we’d love to meet you.