Production & Artistic Finance Manager - Cincinnati Opera

Description

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 through the year, including educational programming, small-scale public performances, recitals, and fundraisers.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Finance Manager serves as the primary financial administrator for Cincinnati Opera's Production and Artistic departments. This position coordinates the financial, contractual, payroll, and administrative processes that support each production from planning through final reconciliation while serving as the key liaison between Production, Artistic, Human Resources, Finance, and the organization's shared-services accounting partner.

The role combines production finance, contract administration, payroll coordination, budget support, and operational planning to ensure the organization's artistic and production activities are executed efficiently, accurately, and in accordance with organizational policies, union agreements, and contractual obligations. 

This person keeps both teams on budget, has real-time numbers ready at any moment, maintains a clear historical record of departmental spending, and produces the reports that leadership relies on to make decisions. The role sits within the artistic and production functions and works in close partnership with the organization's CFAO and with CSO, our outsourced shared services partner for accounting, audit, and payroll.

This is a hands-on, detail-driven role for someone who genuinely enjoys tracking the numbers, catching issues before they become problems, and continually finding ways to strengthen the organization's economic position. The ideal candidate is proactive, organized, and allergic to surprises. 

Key Responsibilities

Production Financial Administration

• Serve as the primary financial administrator for the Production and Artistic departments.
• Process, track, code, and coordinate all incoming and outgoing production invoices, including labor invoices, ensuring timely approvals and payment.
• Serve as the departmental administrator for our Accounts Payable program (currently Beanworks), coordinating invoice workflow, approvals, coding, payment requests, and supporting documentation.
• Prepare and submit all check requests and ACH payment requests, including artist fees, giglets, staff and artist reimbursements, per diem, mileage, and other production-related expenses.
• Reconcile departmental credit card activity, ensuring transactions are properly coded, documented, supported by receipts, and submitted in accordance with organizational policies.
• Work with cardholders and vendors to resolve missing documentation, coding discrepancies, invoice questions, and payment issues.
• Maintain complete and organized financial records supporting all departmental expenditures.
• Administer petty cash, including distribution, reconciliation, replenishment, and recordkeeping.

Payroll & Personnel Administration

• Produce, maintain, and distribute the weekly Production Worksheet Pay Schedule [AC1] for all seasonal production employees and AGMA production personnel.
• Review, verify, and code stagehand and wardrobe payroll prior to processing.
• Coordinate weekly payroll for hourly AGMA artists, including chorus and dancers. Update weekly hours based on costume fittings, absences, lateness, and other fees/deductions. 
• Generate Artistic Payroll Matrix for Artistic Administrator’s review based on seasonal contracts and schedule C documents. 
• Coordinate payroll documentation and communicate with department managers to ensure timely and accurate payroll submissions.
• Update Artistic Payroll Matrix based on artist overtime, AGMA delegate pay, and other seasonal updates. 
• Facilitate contract preparation, routing, signatures, payment schedules, and submission of required documentation to applicable union offices for seasonal staff, AGMA artists, USA designers, and other production personnel.
• Maintain personnel and payroll documentation in accordance with organizational policies.

Vendor Administration

• In partnership with the Director of Production, administer co-production agreements and scenic and costume rental contracts.
• Coordinate contract execution, deposits, rental fees, insurance certificates, payment schedules, renewals, and key contractual deadlines for both Production and Artistic Departments.
• Monitor contract compliance and maintain accurate records for all agreements.
• Serve as the primary administrative liaison with vendors regarding payments, contract documentation, and financial requirements.

Budget Management & Financial Reporting

• Assist Production and Artistic leadership with the preparation, monitoring, forecasting, and reconciliation of departmental budgets.
• Produce recurring budget reports, expenditure summaries, and ad hoc financial analyses to support operational decision-making.
• Monitor departmental spending and proactively identify budget variances or potential cash-flow concerns.
• Coordinate with the Finance Department and shared-services accounting partner to ensure timely and accurate month-end financial reporting.
• Prepare schedules, reconciliations, and supporting documentation for the annual audit and other financial reporting requirements.

Operational Stewardship

• Continually identify opportunities to improve financial processes, strengthen internal controls, and increase operational efficiency.
• Anticipate budget and cash-flow pressures and provide timely information that helps departments avoid financial surprises.
• Support a culture of fiscal responsibility, transparency, and accountability across Production, Artistic, and Finance teams.
• Coordinate closely with Cincinnati Opera Production, Artistic, and Finance leaders, and our accounting and HR payroll partners to ensure seamless financial and personnel administration.
• Perform other duties as assigned in support of Cincinnati Opera's artistic and operational objectives.

Other duties as assigned

Reports to:  Chief Financial and Administrative Officer (CFAO), with dotted lines to the Director of Production and the Artistic Administrator 

Requirements

Required: 

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Arts Administration, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Three to five years of progressively responsible experience in accounting, financial administration, production finance, payroll administration, or comparable operational support.
• Experience supporting complex departmental budgets, multiple funding sources, and high-volume seasonal financial activity.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating financial processes involving invoices, payroll, contracts, reimbursements, and vendor payments.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and strong working knowledge of financial management systems, invoice workflow software, and reporting tools.
• Exceptional organizational skills with outstanding attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and consistently meet deadlines in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain financial information clearly to non-financial colleagues.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment and maintain strict confidentiality when handling sensitive financial and personnel information.

Preferred:

• Experience working in performing arts, theatre, opera, live entertainment, or other production-based environments.
• Familiarity with nonprofit accounting practices, annual audits, and restricted funding.
• Experience administering or supporting union agreements, including AGMA, USA, IATSE, or similar collective bargaining agreements.
• Experience working with outsourced accounting or shared-services finance organizations.
• Experience with contract administration, production rentals, or co-production agreements.

Working Conditions:  

• Full-time, year-round position.
• Hybrid work environment, with flexibility during lower-activity periods and regular on-site presence required during rehearsals, productions, performances, and other operationally critical times. Work schedules are based on organizational and production needs and may vary throughout the year.
• Occasional evening and weekend work is required to support production schedules, performances, and organizational events.
• Vacation time may be restricted during peak production and performance periods. Employees are expected to plan time off around the organization's operational calendar, including designated vacation blackout periods during the performance season.
• Ability to manage multiple concurrent priorities while maintaining a high level of accuracy during peak production periods.

Cincinnati Opera receives administrative support through a shared services agreement with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO). As part of the application process, you may receive communications from CSO team members.