Director of Sensory & Distillery Quality Control

Director Of Sensory & Distillery Quality Control

This 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.

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.

Distilled Spirits Quality Control Leadership

• Lead quality control programs across all distillery operations, from grain handling through fermentation, distillation, and maturation
• Establish and oversee microbiological control strategies across fermentation and processing systems
• Define, implement, and enforce process control standards in partnership with production teams
• Provide technical leadership on fermentation performance, contamination risk, and yeast management practices
• Establish sensory and analytical checkpoints throughout the production lifecycle to ensure early detection of deviations
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions for quality issues across sites
• Lead 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 distilleries
• Partner with operations, maturation, and commercial teams to ensure blending strategies align with brand standards, inventory objectives, and long-term product consistency
• Oversee 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 sites
• Establish standardized sensory methodologies, lexicons, and evaluation protocols
• Define and maintain sensory quality standards aligned with brand profiles and specifications
• Ensure 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 partners
• Develop and implement training, calibration, and requalification programs
• Monitor and validate panel performance using statistical tools
• Provide governance and technical oversight of local sensory panels

Statistical Rigor & Data Integration

• Establish robust statistical frameworks for sensory and in-process QA/QC data
• Ensure panel reliability, data integrity, and appropriate interpretation of results
• Integrate 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 preference
• Translate insights into actionable guidance for product quality and innovation

Team Leadership & Development

• Build and lead a high-performing sensory and quality organization
• Develop technical talent and succession planning
• Establish performance expectations and drive a culture of accountability and rigor

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 leadership
• Demonstrated experience building and leading enterprise-level quality and/or sensory programs
• Deep experience in distilled spirits production, including bourbon and American Whiskey
• Expertise in sensory methodologies and statistical analysis
• Strong background in fermentation, distillation, maturation, blending strategy and flavor development
• Experience with quality systems, process…