Organizational Background

Opening Act was founded in 2000 to address a clear need for teens attending the most under-served public high schools in New York City to feel a greater sense of empowerment and purpose in life.  Our founders were actors and educators who knew they could offer students more opportunities, through theater, to develop leadership and communication skills, build self-confidence, and gain a strong sense of community.  

Committed to advancing arts equity in NYC and beyond, for twenty years, Opening Act has actively centered the voices of students of color through free, high-quality theater programming and transformative arts centered experiences.

Opening Act partners with city public schools to close the access gap to high quality arts education programming for their students. Since inception, we have grown to reach over 7,000 young people. Today, our free, year-long, after school theater program serves 55 schools throughout New York City, including our partnership with District 79, the city’s alternative school district, where we work with young people who are pursuing a high school equivalency diploma in a formal educational environment because their education was disrupted by a life event.

Opening Act’s flagship program is the full-year After-School Theater Program that teaches improvisation, acting technique, and writing exercises to help students unleash their creativity, foster collaboration, and develop leadership and problem-solving skills.  Programs culminate in original productions created and performed by the students in professional Off-Broadway theaters. Our students create thoughtful and reflective narratives about issues they feel are important to explore, ranging from police brutality to economic inequity to love and family dynamics. Our staff, Board of Directors, and broad community of supporters are committed to amplifying the brilliance of our students’ with a resounding YES-and to their powerful stories and voices.

In addition to our After-School Programs, Opening Act offers a Summer Leadership and Arts Conservatory, College and Career Readiness Program, Student Leadership Company, and a robust Alumni Network. 

Job Summary

Opening Act seeks a highly organized, motivated, self-starter with a love for numbers, demonstrated capacity in identifying and solving problems, and a passion for finance-oriented details to join a collaborative and dynamic team of professionals as our part-time Finance Associate. 

The Finance Associate will work closely with Opening Act’s external Financial Services Provider, Executive Director and necessary department staff in oversight of our day-to-day accounting and finance requirements. Confidentiality, excellent accuracy, organizational and time-management skills are important qualifications for this position, as well as good customer relations and the ability to communicate clearly. The ideal candidate for this position is a skilled multi-tasker, an innovative thinker, forward-thinking, reliable and is committed to consistently meeting deadlines. As the organization grows, this position will expand.

Qualifications include

• Experience tracking and classifying expenses and income in account software

• Proficient in QuickBooks Online and comfortable with G-Suite, Microsoft PowerPoint and Excel, Asana (or comparable web based project management software)

• Comfort in a small, fast-paced, entrepreneurial non-profit environment

• Extremely detailed-oriented and highly organized

• Demonstrates initiative and problem-solving skills

• Strong time management with the ability to prioritize responsibilities and meet deadlines

• Flexible and willing to shift priorities when circumstances require

• A strong work ethic is required; must work well in close partnerships

• A positive outlook and a sense of humor

Responsibilities include but are not limited to

• Deep collaboration, effective and timely communication with Executive Director and Fiscal Service Providers

• Track and keep record of check payments, ACH transactions and wire transfers

• Final reviewer of monthly reconciliations prior to sending reports to ED 

• Regular updating and maintenance of annual working budget and forecasting worksheets

• Support year-end preparation and audit execution, coordinate support from the Executive Director, Bookkeeper, and any other Opening Act staff as necessary. 

• Meets weekly with Executive Director and other Opening Act staff as needed 

• Collaborates with the Executive Director and Fiscal Services Provider to uphold our finance systems and procedures

• Manages payment of bills, including receiving and processing invoices, creating and sending invoices, and managing accounts payable and receivable

• Oversee payment schedule and issuing payments for consultants and contractors, and maintain proper documentation

In addition: Passionate commitment to the mission of Opening Act

Opening Act values and welcomes diversity in the workplace and strongly encourages all qualified persons to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

Location: Remote  

Classification

Hourly Part-time

Reports To 

Executive Director

Compensation

$50/hour at 5 hours a week

Start Date 

October 1, 2022

For more info on Opening Act 

www.openingact.org