Chief Financial and Administrative Officer

Career Opportunity: Chief Financial and Administrative Officer with Cincinnati Opera in Cincinnati, OH

Are you seeking an executive financial leadership role where your work shapes fiscal strategy and long-term resilience for a celebrated arts institution? Cincinnati Opera may be exactly that opportunity.

Cincinnati Opera seeks a strategic, analytically strong, and collaborative leader to serve as Chief Financial and Administrative Officer (CFAO). This role is a key thought partner to the General Director & CEO and a member of the senior leadership team, providing insight, analysis, and leadership to support the organization’s financial health and long-term sustainability.

Working closely with senior leadership and the Board, the CFAO guides financial strategy in an environment where core finance, accounting, HR, payroll, and IT functions are delivered through a shared-services partnership with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (“CSO”) and trusted third-party providers. The role is focused on planning, forecasting, risk management, and decision support, rather than day-to-day transaction processing or operational execution.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as Cincinnati Opera’s senior financial executive, responsible for financial strategy, fiscal stewardship, and the integrity of financial reporting and internal controls, reporting directly to the CEO and functioning as the primary financial liaison to the Board of Trustees and its committees.
• Serve as a staff liaison to the Finance & Audit Committee and the Investment Committee.
• Partner with trustee-chairs to develop agendas, provide analysis and recommendations, and present financial data and reports as needed.
• Lead development of the annual operating budget, along with forecasting, scenario planning, and multi-year financial modeling to support the organization’s mission and strategic priorities.
• Develop and maintain financial dashboards, scorecards, and key performance indicators.
• Oversee treasury management, including cash flow planning and relationships with banks, custodians, and investment managers.
• Oversee risk management activities, including insurance coverage and contractual review.
• Provide contract oversight and review, including artist agreements and lease arrangements.
• Serve on a small leadership team managing union relationships and negotiations.
• Manage the external audit process and act as primary liaison to the shared services provider
• Serve as the primary liaison to the CSO’s shared-services teams, ensuring coordination across finance, audit, and HR and that these services consistently meet Cincinnati Opera’s needs.
• In collaboration with Development, oversee gift accounting to ensure accurate records and donor intent documentation for pledges, planned gifts, and restricted and endowment funds.
• Collaborate with the Development team to supply financial modeling, budgets, reporting, and compliance documentation for grant proposals and post-award reporting, ensuring fiscal accuracy and adherence to funder requirements.
• Coordinate with outsourced IT and other professional service providers to ensure alignment and accountability.

Qualifications

• Ability to translate complex financial data into clear insights that support decision-making at the senior leadership and board level, including monitoring performance against budget and identifying trends, risks, and opportunities.
• Experience partnering with senior leaders and boards on long-term financial planning and organizational sustainability in a nonprofit, arts, or other mission-driven organization.
• 5+ years of experience in financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis, including multi-year modeling and scenario planning.
• Experience with accounting, audit, or financial reporting, and the ability to work effectively across strategic and operational finance functions.
• Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, economics, business, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience; CPA, advanced degree, or relevant certifications preferred.
• Strong communication skills and a collaborative, solutions-oriented approach, with the ability to build effective working relationships across departments and with external partners.
• Comfort working in a shared-service or outsourced finance environment and coordinating with external professional service providers.
• Commitment to the mission of Cincinnati Opera.

Compensation

• Salary range: $110,000-$125,000, commensurate with experience, plus a competitive benefits package. Reports to General Director & CEO.

About Cincinnati Opera 
Founded in 1920, Cincinnati Opera is one of the oldest and most highly regarded opera companies in the United States. Known for its longstanding partnership with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, a roster of world-class singers, and its spectacular performance venue, Cincinnati Music Hall, Cincinnati Opera has received numerous accolades and awards, including a recent nomination for the prestigious International Opera Award. Cincinnati Opera offers a primary season of performances from June through August (paid attendance 17,000-20,000), plus a host of events throughout the year, including educational programming, small-scale public performances, recitals, and fundraisers.  

Apply online today to join a great team!

Cincinnati Opera is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to creating an inclusive environment where a variety of backgrounds, cultures, orientations, ideas, and talents can flourish. 

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