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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-services 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.

How to Apply
Submit a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three references to Stephanie Kolodziejski at Strategic HR. Initial application review will begin March 23, 2026.

Cincinnati Opera is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive environment where all backgrounds, cultures, orientations, ideas, and talents can flourish.

Note from the General Director & CEO:

Greetings from Cincinnati Opera. I thought it might be helpful to share a bit more context about this opportunity. The Chief Financial & Administrative Officer role comes at an important and forward-looking moment for Cincinnati Opera. Over the past several years, we have focused on strengthening the organization’s financial position in partnership with our Board, while continuing to invest in artistic excellence, innovation, and community impact. We have recently transitioned core finance and HR functions to a shared-services model, creating new opportunities to reimagine how strategic financial leadership can support the company’s future.

With these changes in place, we are seeking a thoughtful, collaborative financial leader who will partner closely with me, our senior leadership team, and our Board to guide long-range financial planning, support sound decision-making, and help align ambition with sustainability. This role spans strategy and operations and involves working with an expert team of committed professionals, an engaged and highly qualified Board, longstanding partnerships, and a financial structure that has tested the field for centuries, all in pursuit of an art form that delivers like no other.

The CFAO will join an engaged and supportive leadership team—some of the best people I know—and work closely with a committed Board that, like all of us at Cincinnati Opera, cares deeply about the future of the art form and the company. I know I speak for the entire organization when I say we are excited to find the right person for this role and to welcome them into our community. I look forward to being in conversation.

Christopher Milligan
The Harry Fath General Director & CEO
2.23.26

+ Supernumeraries

For anyone who’s dreamed of appearing on the Cincinnati Music Hall stage, Cincinnati Opera is ready to give you your moment in the spotlight. No singing skills are required!

Supernumerary—or “super”—roles are non-singing, non-speaking roles, much like extras in film and television. Supers will share the stage with internationally renowned artists and work with celebrated directors and conductors. No singing experience is necessary and all super positions are filled on a voluntary basis. Individuals of all ages, races, ethnicities, genders, and abilities are welcome and encouraged to apply.

Attending the casting call does not obligate a person to participate. Interested individuals may attend the casting call to simply learn more about supernumerary opportunities.

The next casting call for the 2026 Summer Festival will take place on April 22 & 25, 2026. For details, visit cincinnatiopera.org/super.

For more information, please email supers@cincinnatiopera.org.

+ Opera Guild Ambassadors

The Cincinnati Opera Guild is a membership-based group of enthusiastic ambassadors for Cincinnati Opera that seeks to promote a deeper understanding of opera throughout the Greater Cincinnati community. For 60 years, the Guild has played an active role in supporting Cincinnati Opera's mainstage, community outreach, and education programs by serving as volunteers and ambassadors at events throughout the community. Click here to learn more about the Cincinnati Opera Guild, fill out a volunteer profile, and become a Guild Ambassador.

+ Music Hall Ushering

Ushers make it possible for patrons to have a truly enjoyable Music Hall experience by providing a smile, a friendly greeting, accurate directions, or an extra service. Usher candidates are reviewed by Cincinnati Arts Association. Click here to learn more about how to become a Music Hall usher.