Opportunities
JOBS
We’re looking for our next Executive Director! Details are below.
Reports to: Board of Directors
Salary: $10,000/year (approx 10 hours/week at $20/hour)
Start Date: July 1st, 2025 (possible on-boarding April through June if schedule allows)
Location: Chicago, IL (hybrid work-from-home with attendance at in-person performances and events); applicants should be residents of Chicago.
How you’d fit in and stand out, along with some responsibilities and expectations:
Our ideal candidate has a passion for opera, a commitment to experimental and progressive art forms, and the drive to lead a 501(c)3 non-profit. This individual will be instrumental in maintaining and enhancing CFO’s visibility and reputation in the arts community, as well as cultivating relationships with key stakeholders — including donors, board members, and partner organizations — and will lead CFO’s efforts in finding new grant opportunities.
This part-time role requires a candidate who is detail-oriented, driven to grow an arts organization, and has strong communication skills, along with experience in governance of non-profit organizations, in soliciting major gifts and leading fundraising campaigns, and in grant research, writing, and reporting.
In addition, those with the following skills will be more successful at CFO: excellent public speaking, communication, and interpersonal skills; passion for the arts and a commitment to advancing the mission of CFO; and knowledge of and connections within the Chicago arts community
You’re an ideal candidate if you have experience with:
- Artist contracts
- Bookkeeping
- Event/Partnership Logistics
- Financial Management and budgeting
- Fundraising
- Governance and Compliance
- Grant Writing and Management
Preferred qualifications:
- A bachelor’s degree in arts administration, nonprofit management, or equivalent experience working with an arts organization (in lieu of an academic degree).
- A minimum of three years of experience in a leadership role within an arts or cultural organization
- Demonstrated success in fundraising, grant writing, and donor cultivation
- Strong financial management and budgeting skills
- Familiarity with some or all of the following programs: Asana, Slack, Canva, Google Workspace, Zoom, MailChimp, and Facebook.
And finally…
Concerned that you don’t meet every single requirement? No worries! If you’re excited about this role, but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway — you may be just the right candidate.
How to apply:
Send a cover letter, resume, and list of three references to info@chicagofringeopera.com. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis; those received by April 30, 2025 will be given preference.
AUDITIONS
Thank you for your interest in auditioning for Chicago Fringe Opera.
We invite you to send the following materials to Producing Artistic Director George Cederquist (gcederquist@chicagofringeopera.com) at any time:
- Resume in PDF format
- Headshot in JPG format
- Video Link of a live, solo performance in English in MP4 format
Fringe xChange
Are you an artist based in Chicago? Interested in working with Chicago Fringe Opera (CFO)? Have a big idea you’d like to share? Or you just want to chat about your art form and its intersection with opera?
The CFO family invite you to share yourself and your work with us. We accept submissions from artists in all disciplines, not just opera, and not just the performing arts.
Submissions are reviewed at the beginning of each month. We’ll be in touch via email to connect you with a member of our artistic team who will schedule an informal meeting.
