Distillery Manager - Philadelphia Distilling

Heaven Hill Brands•Philadelphia, PA

13d•Onsite

About The Position

The Distillery Manager provides site-level leadership for Philadelphia Distilling’s production and facility operations, including distillation, bottling/packaging, logistics, and visitor center activities. The role owns site execution across safety, quality, cost, schedule, people, and operational performance, and serves as the primary site decision-maker for production planning and operational priorities within company policies and delegated authority. The Distillery Manager translates business demand into executable plans, leads continuous improvement and Heaven Hill Production System (HHPS) adoption, develops leaders, and ensures the facility represents the brand consistently while operating safely, efficiently, and within budget. Key measures include health, safety & environmental performance, production and bottling schedule attainment, quality, KPI delivery, cost savings/productivity, continuous improvement, and employee engagement. Heaven Hill’s Spirited Commitment outlines the core behaviors that serve as the foundation to our culture. We hold ourselves and each other accountable for demonstrating these behaviors daily, as we fulfill our commitment to building and maintaining an exceptional Heaven Hill culture.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Supply Chain, Food & Beverage Science, or a related field
Minimum twelve (12) years’ experience in distilling, beverage manufacturing or production operations
Minimum five (5) years’ experience managing people, preferably in a production environment
Experience in the beverage alcohol industry and strong working knowledge of distillation and beverage production processes
Knowledge of Lean manufacturing principles and continuous improvement practices
Experience managing budgets, capital projects, and operational strategy preferred
Deep knowledge of distillation and beverage production processes
Production planning and demand alignment
Budgeting and financial management
Operational performance management and KPI tracking
Experienced in creation of a continuous improvement culture, involving and empowering employees
Continuous improvement systems knowledge (5S, lean manufacturing)
Regulatory and safety compliance oversight
Strong leadership and people management capability
Strategic thinking and decision-making
Excellent communication and collaboration skills
Organizational and execution skills
Time management and prioritization
Accountability and performance management

Responsibilities

Provide overall leadership and direction for distillery operations, including production, bottling/packaging, logistics, and visitor center activities, with clear priorities for safety, quality, service, cost, and performance.
Own the macro production calendar, aligning facility output with demand forecasts and supply chain requirements.
Maintain oversight of product quality and process standards across distillation and production activities, partnering with appropriate quality and technical resources to address issues and sustain standards.
Lead facility strategic planning, including budget development, capital expenditures, product and process development, and longer-term operational improvements and expansion needs.
Ensure operations perform within budget while improving cost efficiency, throughput and overall operational performance; identify and execute cost-saving and productivity opportunities.
Oversee the operational direction of the Visitor Center and front-of-house activities to support revenue and reach goals while maintaining brand standards and budgetary guidelines.
Establish, monitor, and act on key operational performance indicators for safety, quality, schedule attainment, efficiency, cost, throughput, and continuous improvement; use performance trends to prioritize corrective action and improvement.
Lead, coach, and develop facility personnel through clear expectations, performance management, employee engagement, recognition, and culture-building; build accountability and capability at all levels.
Drive adoption and execution of Heaven Hill programs and operational systems, including HHPS, Daily Direction Setting (DDS), 5S, standardization, and continuous improvement practices.
Collaborate with cross-functional and enterprise leadership across Heaven Hill Brands to align site execution with business strategy, share best practices, and remove barriers to results.
Provide leadership and guidance to the site, promote the Spirited Commitment, and actively engage in the Plant Manager Community Group.
Perform other duties as assigned.