Director of Human Resources - Cincinnati Opera

Description

The Director of Human Resources reports to the Chief Financial and Administrative Officer and partners directly with the General Director & CEO on matters involving the senior leadership team. A hands-on HR leader, the HR Director is responsible for the day-to-day administration and ongoing development of Cincinnati Opera’s human resources function. The HR Director oversees and coordinates recruitment; onboarding and offboarding; employee benefits; leave and PTO administration; payroll; employee relations; HR compliance; training and development; performance management; compensation administration; and the communication and maintenance of employment policies and procedures. This work is performed in close partnership with Cincinnati Opera’s shared-services providers and other external partners.

Cincinnati Opera maintains a small year-round staff and expands significantly during its summer production season. The successful candidate will be comfortable working independently, balancing strategic and administrative responsibilities, and supporting employees and leaders in a highly collaborative, seasonal environment. The ideal candidate will be a trusted advisor, thoughtful listener, clear communicator, meticulous record-keeper, and practical problem-solver.

 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. 

Responsibilities  

• Serve as the primary HR resource for employees and people leaders, providing guidance on employee relations, performance management, workplace concerns, policy interpretation, and other employment matters.
• Partner with people leaders on employee relations matters and conduct workplace investigations as appropriate, consulting with legal counsel or other advisors when needed.
• Advise leadership on compensation planning, salary benchmarking, job classification, workforce planning, organizational design, and staffing changes.
• Manage recruitment for assigned open positions in partnership with hiring managers, including position postings, candidate screening, interview coordination, offer creation, and related hiring activities.
• Manage onboarding and offboarding processes for employees, including required documentation, system setup and removal, orientation coordination, and related employee communications.
• Administer employee benefits, leave, and PTO programs, including employee communications, eligibility and enrollment administration, and coordination with benefit providers and shared-services partners.
• Oversee payroll preparation and processing, including reviewing employee data, hours, compensation changes, deductions, and other payroll inputs, and partnering with the payroll provider or shared-services team to ensure accurate, timely processing.
• Maintain accurate employee data in the HRIS (currently Paycor), and prepare recurring and ad hoc workforce, payroll, benefits, and other HR reports for leadership and key stakeholders.
• Maintain personnel files and HR records associated with recruitment, benefits, leave and PTO, employee demographics, compensation, performance, and other employment matters in accordance with applicable record-retention requirements.
• Serve as Cincinnati Opera’s primary day-to-day liaison with shared-services, benefits, payroll, and other HR vendors; clarify responsibilities, monitor service delivery, resolve issues, and ensure that the organization’s HR needs are met.
• Support implementation of new HR systems, vendors, or shared-services arrangements, including process design, data validation and migration, testing, employee communications, training, and transition planning as needed.
• Maintain and administer the Employee Handbook and HR policies and procedures, recommending updates as laws, organizational needs, or practices change.
• Maintain knowledge of applicable federal, state, and local employment requirements and coordinate appropriate compliance activities, records, required notices, and reporting.
• Maintain current job descriptions and organizational charts and support documentation of roles, reporting relationships, and organizational changes.
• Develop and deliver training for employees and people leaders on HR-related topics and coordinate training with external providers as appropriate.
• Manage unemployment claims, employment verifications, workers' compensation administration, and related employment matters, coordinating with insurers, administrators, shared-services partners, and other outside resources as appropriate.
• Partner with organizational leaders on workplace safety policies, required training, incident documentation, and related employee matters.
• Consult and liaise with legal counsel and other professional advisors as appropriate.
• Contribute to an inclusive, respectful, compassionate, and productive work environment.
• Other duties as assigned.

In Practice

Cincinnati Opera is a highly seasonal organization. The year-round staff consists of approximately 20 employees, while the workforce expands substantially during the summer production season with seasonal employees, artists, production personnel, interns, and other temporary staff. As a result, HR activity varies significantly throughout the year, with recruitment, onboarding, payroll, employee support, and offboarding needs increasing substantially during the spring and summer months.

This is a hands-on role in a small organization. The HR Director will advise leadership on HR matters while personally executing many of the administrative processes that support employees. The position averages approximately 30 hours per week and requires regular onsite presence, with some scheduling flexibility during lower-activity periods. Occasional evening and weekend work is required, particularly during the summer production season.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications

• Five to seven years of progressively responsible human resources experience, including independent responsibility for multiple HR functions such as employee relations, benefits, recruitment, payroll, compliance, and policy administration.
• Demonstrated knowledge of applicable federal and Ohio employment laws and HR practices, with the ability to identify, research, and apply employment requirements in other jurisdictions as needed.
• Demonstrated judgment and discretion in handling confidential and sensitive employee matters.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities in a deadline-driven environment.
• Excellent verbal, written, interpersonal, and listening skills.
• Exceptional attention to detail and record-keeping.
• Proficiency with HRIS/payroll systems and Microsoft Office.
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends, particularly during Cincinnati Opera’s summer production season.  

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in the nonprofit, performing arts, entertainment, or other seasonal workforce environment.
• Experience supporting a workforce that includes seasonal, temporary, hourly, and salaried employees.
• Experience developing and delivering employee and manager training.
• Experience administering complex or variable payrolls; Paycor experience is a plus.
• Experience working with outsourced HR, payroll, benefits, or shared-services providers and/or supporting HR system or service-provider transitions.
• Experience with compensation benchmarking and workforce planning.
• Experience in supporting a unionized workforce.
• SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, SPHR, or comparable professional certification.  

Compensation

This is a part-time, exempt position averaging approximately 30 hours per week, with an annual salary range of $75,000–$85,000, commensurate with experience. The position is benefits eligible. Cincinnati Opera offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability insurance; paid time off and holidays; parking; and a 403(b) retirement plan with an employer match.

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 performance venue, Cincinnati Music Hall, Cincinnati Opera has received numerous accolades and awards, including a nomination for the International Opera Award. Cincinnati Opera presents its primary season from June through August, with paid attendance of approximately 17,000–20,000, as well as year-round educational programming, small-scale public performances, recitals, and fundraising events.