Opera Production Finance Lead | Budget, Payroll & Contracts

The-Cincinnati-Symphony-Orchestra; Cincinnati (OH); Hybrid; USD 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Cincinnati Opera is seeking a Finance Manager to serve as the primary financial administrator for Production and Artistic departments, coordinating invoices, payroll, and budgets. The role reports to the CFAO and works with the shared services partner for accounting, audit, and payroll.

The position requires a Bachelor's degree in a related field and 3–5 years of financial administration experience, with strong Excel skills and attention to detail.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Arts Administration, or a related field
• 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
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain financial information clearly to non-financial colleagues

Responsibilities

• 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.
• Administer the Accounts Payable program (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.
• Produce, maintain, and distribute the weekly Production Worksheet Pay Schedule 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Skills

Advanced Excel

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Attention to detail

Multi-tasking

Nonprofit accounting knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance/Business Administration/Arts Administration

Tools

Beanworks

Financial management systems

Job description

Cincinnati Opera is seeking a Finance Manager to serve as the primary financial administrator for Production and Artistic departments, coordinating invoices, payroll, and budgets. The role reports to the CFAO and works with the shared services partner for accounting, audit, and payroll.

The position requires a Bachelor's degree in a related field and 3–5 years of financial administration experience, with strong Excel skills and attention to detail.