Manufacturing Energy Optimization Engineer

Kentucky Distillers Association; Bardstown (KY); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Kentucky Distillers Association in Bardstown, KY, is seeking an Energy Improvement Engineer to drive energy conservation across our distilling and bottling operations. You will identify opportunities, develop roadmaps, and deliver measurable savings while advancing our sustainability goals.

Collaborating with operations, maintenance, engineering, and finance, you will turn audits into actionable projects, lead quick-wins, and build business cases for capital investments aimed at reducing energy

Responsibilities

• Execute the enterprise Energy Conservation Strategy by developing and maintaining a multi-site energy opportunity pipeline, implementation roadmap, and savings forecast.
• Assess energy use across distilling, bottling, processing, utilities, and other manufacturing operations; identify practical opportunities for energy efficiency, emissions reduction, and process improvement.
• Review prior Department of Energy and other site audit recommendations; validate current applicability, close completed items, and convert viable recommendations into implementation plans.
• Plan and support energy audits, including the Bardstown audit and future site assessments; coordinate data collection, site participation, follow-up, and recommendation tracking.
• Develop and lead quick-win projects involving boiler combustion and steam efficiency, insulation and heat loss, compressed air, lighting, motors, refrigeration, HVAC, controls, heat recovery, and demand management.
• Build project charters, technical scopes, capital requests, savings estimates, payback analyses, and implementation plans for energy projects; manage execution through commissioning and handoff.
• Partner with maintenance, reliability, and operations teams to embed energy considerations into preventive maintenance, standards, troubleshooting, equipment selection, and operating practices.
• Establish energy performance measures and recurring reporting for energy spend, consumption, intensity, emissions, project savings, and pipeline progress; communicate results to leadership.
• Identify and pursue utility rebates, government incentives, and other funding opportunities that improve project economics and reduce implementation cost.
• Work with Environment and Sustainability to align project plans and reported results with the 2030 Environmental Sustainability Strategy and carbon-reduction goals.
• Collaborate with site leadership to strengthen energy awareness, operating discipline, and local ownership of savings opportunities without direct supervision of site employees.
• Coordinate technical support from utilities, OEMs, contractors, engineering firms, and consultants; ensure findings and recommendations are practical for site conditions.
• Advance continuous improvement through data-driven problem solving, standard work, training, and cross-site sharing of proven energy practices.
• Maintain current knowledge of manufacturing energy technologies, utility markets, measurement approaches, regulations, and best practices applicable to distilling and bottling operations.

Job description

Kentucky Distillers Association in Bardstown, KY, is seeking an Energy Improvement Engineer to drive energy conservation across our distilling and bottling operations. You will identify opportunities, develop roadmaps, and deliver measurable savings while advancing our sustainability goals.

Collaborating with operations, maintenance, engineering, and finance, you will turn audits into actionable projects, lead quick-wins, and build business cases for capital investments aimed at reducing energy