Palm Beach Opera seeks a Director of Finance & Administration to begin full-time work in September 2026. This position is responsible for the financial and administrative operations of one of the country’s leading opera companies, with an annual budget of $8M. The Director of Finance & Administration is a key member of the senior management team working in close collaboration with the development, marketing/box office, education/community engagement, and artistic/production departments, as well as the Board’s Treasurer and Finance Committee. This position oversees and is supported by an Office Manager. The ideal candidate is a skilled financial professional with a deep understanding of non-profit accounting principles.
Primary Responsibilities
Finance & Accounting
- Oversee all finance and accounting functions, including budgeting, forecasting, cash planning and management, accounts payable, and accounts receivable.
- Ensure accurate recording of all financial transactions in accordance with GAAP, overseeing and approving all general ledger activity.
- Prepare monthly and quarterly account reconciliations.
- Manage treasury functions including cash flow, credit, and investments.
- Review and approve weekly payables and bi-weekly payroll.
- Prepare and present monthly financial statements, reports, and analysis for internal distribution and to various external stakeholders as required.
- Manage annual budgeting process with each department.
- Establish monthly and annual closing procedures in order to provide reliable interim financial reporting verses budget and prior-year activities, and to prepare year-end closing schedules of balance sheet accounts and annual activities of revenues and expenses.
- Manage annual audit and preparation of required schedules for audit and federal form 990, and work with external audit firm to ensure timely completion and filing.
- Ensure company’s processes and systems are structured to support adequate internal accounting controls, compliance, and monitoring.
- Provide financial stewardship in alignment with strategic and operational plans.
Administration & Human Resources
- Oversee insurance coverage, workers’ compensation records, benefit plans, payroll, and preparation and distribution of tax forms.
- In collaboration with General Director, maintain and update Employee Handbook and policies.
- Maintain personnel files, and assist in hiring and termination procedures as necessary.
- Stay updated on employment legislation, ensuring compliance with relevant laws.
Qualifications and Requirements
- Demonstrated experience in financial analytics, budgeting, forecasting, and managing cash flow. An accounting degree and proven work expertise in not-for-profit accounting is required. At least three years in public accounting is desired, and a CPA is preferred.
- Proficiency with accounting software, particularly Financial Edge NXT. Experience with Tessitura or similar ticketing applications and donor management platforms is preferred. Advanced skills in Microsoft 365 (especially Excel) are required.
- Ability to establish priorities and multitask, with strong organizational skills, a solution-oriented mindset, and meticulous attention to detail.
- Discretion with confidential and sensitive information.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, and the ability to interact with a wide range of personalities.
- An enthusiasm for the company’s mission and an eagerness to develop an understanding of the company’s activities.
- Must have the ability to work flexible hours for company’s performances, including extended hours, evenings, and weekends.
- Access to reliable transportation.
This job description is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, skills, requirements, or working conditions associated with the job. While this listing is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, the company reserves the right to revise the job or to require that other or different tasks be performed or assigned.
Please forward your cover letter and résumé in pdf format to: [email protected]. Please address communications to James Barbato, General Director.
ABOUT THE COMPANY
Palm Beach Opera is one of the nation's most highly regarded opera companies, noted for its 65-year legacy of excellence in mainstage productions featuring internationally renowned singers, a robust education program which has a history of deep impact throughout Southeast Florida, and one of the premier resident artist training programs in the industry.
The 2026 season was among the most successful in company history from both an artistic and financial perspective, with attendance figures that propelled the box office to achieving two of our highest-grossing productions ever, coupled with a significant increase in contributed revenue. The mainstage productions at the 2,220-seat Kravis Center for the Performing Arts included Puccini’s La bohème with a showstopping performance from star soprano Anita Hartig, the company premiere of Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers with the colorful set and costume designs of fashion icon Zandra Rhodes and the sensational US debut of Italian soprano Francesca Pia Vitale, and Verdi’s Rigoletto with the electrifying tenor Jonathan Tetelman and powerful baritone Vladislav Sulimsky. The 2027 season celebrates PBO’s 65th Anniversary with classic productions of Verdi’s Aida, Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, and Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci.
The company's community engagement programs continue to be a vital force for arts education in the region, reaching thousands of children each year with frequent classroom concerts, a read-along series of illustrated books on opera, and many more activities designed to inspire a lifelong love of the performing arts, including an exciting partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs in which the children create and perform their own operas.
PBO has also become one of the leading training centers for emerging artists in the opera industry. Since the company’s first iteration of a formalized resident artist program in 2004, which included then-rising-star Nadine Sierra among its participants, PBO has built an impressive track-record of success in identifying and training the next generation of singers, with alumni that include several recent winners of Plácido Domingo’s Operalia Competition and the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition Grand Finals. With the current three-tiered structure, PBO provides opportunities and mentorship for artists at several key stages of their development – from high school voice students preparing for college as part of PBO Studio, to recent conservatory graduates building professional experience in the Apprentice Artist Program, to singers on the verge of launching careers as principal artists through the Young Artist Program.
Palm Beach Opera is located in one of the world’s great resort communities, which boasts an unparalleled quality of life and is known for beautiful weather, pristine beaches, abundant outdoor activities, world-class dining, and a vibrant cultural scene.
Pay: $120,000.00 - $130,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 403(b)
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
