External Operations Manager Jobs in Lexington, KY

Campari Group today is a major player in the global branded spirits industry, with a portfolio of over 50 premium and super premium brands, marketed and distributed in over 190 markets around the world, with leading positions in Europe and the Americas.

Headquartered in Milan, Italy, Campari Group owns 25 plants worldwide and has its own distribution network in 26 countries, and employs approximately 4,700 people.

Shares of the parent company Davide Campari - Milano N.V. are listed on the Italian Stock Exchange since 2001. Campari Group is today the sixth-largest player worldwide in the premium spirits industry.

A rare opportunity to bring a new distillery to life - for one of bourbon's most iconic brands.

Greenfield opportunities like this don't come around often. Wild Turkey is expanding in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, and we're looking for an Operations Manager to own the startup end to end - from commissioning and validation to Day-1 readiness and ramp-up. You'll be the single point of operational ownership for a brand-new distillery, with high visibility across global and local stakeholders and the kind of scope most operations managers never get. If you've been waiting for the chance to say "I started that plant up" - this is it.

General Description of the Role

The Operations Manager is accountable for the end-to-end operational readiness, commissioning, and execution of the Lawrenceburg Wild Turkey Distillery. This role serves as the single operational integrator across engineering, operations, quality, and support functions to ensure safe and compliant operations of the Distillery.

Key Responsibilities and Activities

• Structured execution from commissioning governance, including system turnover, punch-list closure, and validation sign-offs, then owning the day-to-day post start-up
• Coordinate activities to ensure rapid stabilization of production in the Distillery
• Ensure all process systems meet defined performance, safety, and quality standards
• Act as the single point of operational ownership bridging engineering, production, quality, HR, and supply chain in the Distillery
• Coordinate external vendors, OEMs, and contractors to ensure readiness and system validation through day-to-day production
• Ensure SOPs, work instructions, and process documentation are complete and validated prior to startup
• Build and execute training plans, competency matrices, and onboarding for operations teams
• Validate staffing plans and organizational readiness for new capacity
• Drive rapid ramp-up to target throughput, yield, and efficiency
• Monitor startup KPIs (safety, quality, output, reliability) and lead stabilization efforts
• Identify and mitigate operational risks impacting capacity delivery
• Reduce startup risks, delays, and rework through centralized ownership and structured issue tracking
• Lead daily startup governance routines (war rooms, issue logs, escalation paths)
• Ensure compliance with safety, regulatory (TTB), and quality standards
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders (PMO, Operations, Engineering, Procurement, QRD) and external partners (e.g., Design Builder) to align project goals, timelines, and deliverables
• Escalate critical decisions through defined governance paths and ensure alignment across global and local stakeholders
• Manage daily activities/resources to ensure maximized efficiency in the Distillery
• Maintain and organize technical submittals, including engineering drawings, specifications, equipment data sheets, and validation records
• Facilitate and document meeting minutes for core project team meetings, including follow-up communications
• Ensure communication with relevant internal stakeholders on activities impacting daily operations
• Perform other duties as assigned to support project success

Key Deliverables

• Achievement of Day-1 operational readiness across people, processes, and systems
• Rapid stabilization to planned capacity and performance targets
• Closed commissioning and verification including punch list through improvement ideas
• Documented and trained operating model for sustained operations

Key Relationships

Internal:

• Local and Regional Engineering Team
• Local Site Manufacturing Team
• Local HS & Sustainability Team
• Local and Regional Accounting/Finance
• Regional Brand House Marketing Team

External:

• Contractor Partners

Qualifications / Requirements

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, or related field

Experience

• 5+ years of experience in manufacturing
• Experience in the distilled spirits or beverage industry is required; distillation experience is preferred
• Proven experience in operations management
• Strong cross-functional leadership in complex, multi-stakeholder environments, both internal and external
• Experience working in a union environment is preferred
• Strong understanding of processing and manufacturing

Knowledge / Skills / Abilities

• High proficiency in Microsoft Office suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel)
• Strong organizational and multitasking skills with keen attention to detail
• Knowledge of commissioning frameworks (FAT, SAT, IQ/OQ/PQ)
• Familiarity with SAP, production planning, safety systems and quality systems
• Proven ability to work collaboratively across departments and influence at all organizational levels
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Ability to navigate and work on the site (outdoor), including but not limited to walking on uneven surfaces (construction site), working at heights, and working on ladders
• Adhere to all safety protocols and procedures to maintain a safe and compliant work environment

Our commitment to Diversity & Inclusion:

At Campari Group we believe in building more value together, thus we see diversity in all forms as a source of enrichment. Our employment policies and practices ensure that we are committed to providing equal employment opportunities in all aspects of employment without regard to any individual's race, religion, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or characteristics or expression, political affiliation or activity, age, veteran status, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Campari Group believes that fair compensation and equal opportunities are crucial for employees' well-being, empowerment, and engagement.  Our efforts to ensure fair pay have earned us the Fair Pay Certification by Fair Pay Workplace, an independent organization dedicated to dismantling pay disparities based on gender, race and their intersection.

Note to applicants:

Your application will be assessed based on your abilities, expertise, general knowledge and experience, not because of any confidential, proprietary or trade secret information you may possess. You must not disclose to Campari Group any such information. In the event that you are asked a question that cannot be answered without disclosure of any confidential, proprietary or trade secret information (including from a current or prior employer or their vendors or customers), you must decline to answer the question.

Notice to third party agencies:

Please refrain from cold-calling or emailing our executive leadership team or the HR community directly. The Talent Acquisition department manages centralized recruiting operations globally, including the selection and management of external suppliers. Currently, our preferred supplier list is at full capacity. To ensure we have your information on file for future consideration, we kindly request that you complete the online form provided here.