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Distillery Operator Jobs (NOW HIRING)

CleanHarbors

Chemical Operator

Hebron, OH · On-site

$17.75 - $20.25/hr

... Operators to their team! These team members will need to be willing to learn to complete all ... These include but are not limited to Cookers and Distillation column. Other duties will include ...

Clean Harbors

Chemical Operator

Hebron, OH · On-site

$14.42 - $28.85/hr

... Operators to their team! These team members will need to be willing to learn to complete all ... These include but are not limited to Cookers and Distillation column. Other duties will include ...

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Distillery Operator information

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$14

$19

$26

How much do distillery operator jobs pay per hour?

As of Sep 11, 2026, the average hourly pay for distillery operator in the United States is $19.51, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $17.07 and $20.91 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a distillery operator?

Distillery Operators are professionals responsible for overseeing the production of spirits such as whiskey, vodka, or gin in a distillery. They manage the distillation process, monitor equipment, ensure quality control, and maintain safety standards. Their duties often include measuring and mixing ingredients, operating machinery, recording production data, and conducting routine maintenance. Distillery Operators play a key role in ensuring that the final product meets required specifications and regulatory standards.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a distillery operator, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Distillery Operator, you need a solid understanding of distillation processes, equipment operation, and safety protocols, often supported by a high school diploma or industry-specific certification. Familiarity with control systems, quality testing tools, and maintenance procedures is typically required. Attention to detail, problem-solving abilities, and strong teamwork are essential soft skills for this role. These competencies ensure safe, efficient, and high-quality production in a regulated and fast-paced environment.

What are some common challenges faced by distillery operators, and how can they be managed on the job?

Distillery operators often face challenges such as maintaining equipment efficiency, adhering to strict safety protocols, and ensuring product quality throughout the distillation process. These can be managed by following preventive maintenance schedules, staying up-to-date with safety and quality procedures, and working closely with team members such as quality control technicians and maintenance staff. Strong attention to detail and effective communication are key to overcoming these challenges and ensuring smooth operations in the distillery environment.

What is the difference between Distillery Operator vs Bottling Line Worker?

AspectDistillery OperatorBottling Line Worker
CredentialsHigh school diploma, certifications in safety and equipment operationHigh school diploma, safety training
Work EnvironmentDistillery production floor, handling fermentation and distillation equipmentBottling line, packaging spirits into bottles
Industry UsageUsed in distilleries for alcohol productionUsed in bottling plants for packaging

Distillery Operators focus on the production process, including fermentation and distillation, while Bottling Line Workers handle packaging and bottling. Both roles require safety training and are essential in alcohol manufacturing, but they differ in daily tasks and equipment used.

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Distillery Operator jobs near you
Infographic showing various Distillery Operator job openings in the United States as of September 2026, with employment types broken down into 47% Full Time, 51% Part Time, 1% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 99% Physical, and 1% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $40,576 per year, or $19.5 per hour.

Controls Engineer - Buffalo Trace Distillery

Frankfort, KY • On-site

Sazerac Company
Food and Drink Manufacturing • 5 - 10K employees
Learn more about Sazerac Companyexternal

$72K - $93K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 2 days ago

Sazerac rating

8.4

Company rating: 8.4 out of 10

Based on 34 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

Job description

Sazerac Company Overview
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, Traveller, and Sazerac Rye. Additionally, Sazerac owns many popular brands across a range of spirits, including Fireball, Svedka, Wheatley, BuzzBallz, 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.
Company/Location Overview
Buffalo Trace Distillery is an American family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The Distillery's rich tradition dates back to 1773 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee.
Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational Distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is a National Historic Landmark as well as is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won 17 distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. It was named "Brand Innovator of the Year" by Whisky Magazine at its Icons of Whisky America Awards 2015. Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 300 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. The distillery is part of the Sazerac family of companies.
For more information, please visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com or www.sazerac.com.
Job Description/Responsibilities
The Controls/Electrical Engineer is responsible for the direction and focus of the Controls/Electrical Maintenance Team activities. Organize workloads, provide technical support, and manage work quality for responsible areas; to ensure at least a 95% uptime through support of preventive/reactive maintenance, project management, systems control and general engineering.
  • Lead the development of a production automation plan for BTD that will help specify and develop hardware and software platforms throughout the distillery. Support production through the implementation and continued support of these systems as we work to develop an expandable control and monitoring system facility wide. Identify and lead cost savings initiatives within the organization
  • Our vision for the Controls Engineer is to help/guide us to develop/establish a uniform platform for all our PLC's, HMI's, VFD's and overall controls. This will lead to not only improved productivity as we become apt to address issues more reliability in a quick manner it will also help in both Electrical Safety and operation safety. Support the overall facility safety program through excellence in project management, maintenance, problem identification, and supervision and participate in the Crisis Management Project and become SME on maintenance related items with the CM plan by understanding potential crises and appropriate responses.
  • Trains and supervises 3 - 5 Electrical/Instrumentation technicians that support the facilities and electrical/ automation needs. Evaluates employee performance and skill level to determine skill improvement needs and develops improvement plans to address. Creates and develops a personal development plan with Plant Engineer to improve a skill/competency that will develop personal skills and improve performance.
  • Ensure adherence to Personal Safety, Food Safety, Quality and Environmental Policies and Practices. Lead the development and on-going updates of SOP's and processes related to MRO inventory and preventive maintenance scheduling.
  • Meets and exceeds customer expectations through supervision of Maintenance employees to deliver product on time within budget and to meet quality specifications. Troubleshoots operating problems, evaluates the situation and coordinates resolution.
  • Provide leadership to Maintenance employees in a manner consistent with the culture of the company. Ensures employees are treated fairly and with respect. Creates a team environment where all employees are encouraged to make a difference in meeting and exceeding customer expectations. Participates in efforts to address issues identified through climate surveys and make the Company "one of the industry's most desired places to be."
  • Ensures all projects and initiatives are implemented in compliance with Regulatory and Environmental guidelines
  • Keeps abreast of all technological advancements and establishes/implements a plan to train our technicians and raise the level of technical knowledge within our facility
  • Assist in development of a preventative/predictive maintenance program for electrical and controls infrastructure to include, cleaning, back-up, program logging, and thermal scanning. Maintain the documentation system, MP2, for data collection during repairs and PM activities in order to monitor deterioration rates and identify critical failure points.

#LI-JC1
#LI-Onsite
Qualifications/Requirements
Must
  • Engineering or related degree or equivalent experience
  • 5 years relevant experience (minimum)
  • Ability to manage multiple projects at one time
  • 3 years hands on electrical experience, Allen Bradley PLC programming and hardware experience, equipment trouble shooting experience
  • BSEE, BSEET, ASEE, ASEET or equivalent experience
  • Working knowledge of MS Office Products (Word, Excel and Outlook)
  • Strong interpersonal skills
  • Strong planning and organizational skills
Preferred
  • Proficient in Auto-Cad Software
  • Rockwell Automation controls training
  • Working knowledge of PC's, LAN's and WAN's
Physical Requirements
  • Ability to pick up and/or move objects up to 50 pounds without assistance.
  • Ability to work overtime if necessary
  • Ability to work 8 hour shift
  • In-person job attendance
  • Strong communication skills
  • Ability to read and write
  • Ability to work near moving mechanical parts
  • Ability to pay attention to detail
  • Ability to pay attention to detail
  • Noise level at work station is loud (metal can manufacturing, large earth moving equipment)
  • Ability to work with the risk of electrical shock

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