Financial planning and analysis Job Description

FP&A Job Description

The FP&A function — Financial Planning & Analysis — is the engine room of forward-looking finance. Where the Financial Controller looks backward to ensure the numbers are right, the FP&A team looks forward: building financial models, running the annual budget process, producing rolling forecasts and providing the analytical insight that enables the CFO, FD and Board to make better decisions. Adrian Lawrence FCA, founder of FD Capital and a Fellow of the ICAEW, leads FD Capital’s senior finance recruitment practice. Our network includes FP&A Analysts, FP&A Managers, Heads of FP&A and Finance Business Partners across all sectors.

This page provides a comprehensive FP&A job description — covering responsibilities at each level, qualifications, salary benchmarks and career path — for organisations drafting a role specification or finance professionals considering a move into FP&A.

Call 020 3287 9501 or email recruitment@fdcapital.co.uk. Shortlists typically delivered within three to seven working days.

What Is FP&A?

Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) is the finance discipline responsible for budgeting, forecasting, financial modelling and performance reporting. The FP&A function provides the financial analysis that supports strategic planning and commercial decision-making — working across the organisation to understand what is driving performance, what the financial outlook looks like, and what options the business has to improve it.

FP&A sits between the operational finance function (the Financial Controller and accounting team, who manage the integrity of past transactions) and the senior finance leadership (the CFO and Finance Director, who manage strategic and Board-level relationships). In larger organisations, FP&A is a distinct team with its own Head of FP&A. In smaller businesses, FP&A responsibilities are often carried by the Financial Controller, a Finance Manager or a Finance Business Partner. In PE-backed businesses, FP&A is frequently the function most engaged with by the PE sponsor — producing the monthly reporting pack, maintaining the financial model and supporting the annual budget review with the investment team.

FP&A Roles — Levels and Responsibilities

FP&A Analyst (0–4 years post-qualification)

The FP&A Analyst is the entry-level role in the function, typically held by a recently or newly qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA or CIMA) or a graduate with strong analytical and modelling skills. Core responsibilities at this level include maintaining and updating financial models and the budget/forecast file; preparing variance analysis commentaries for the monthly management pack; running standard reporting processes including weekly flash reports, monthly dashboards and KPI packs; and supporting the annual budget process through data gathering, assumption-building and consolidation. The FP&A Analyst works closely with the Financial Controller’s team to ensure the management accounts are an accurate starting point for the analytical work, and with Finance Business Partners or business unit teams to gather operational data that feeds into the forecast.

FP&A Manager / Senior FP&A Analyst (4–8 years)

The FP&A Manager takes ownership of the core FP&A deliverables — the annual budget, the rolling forecast, the management reporting pack — with less day-to-day direction. At this level, the FP&A professional begins to own the relationship with specific business unit finance teams, presenting financial results and forecast updates directly to operational leaders. Key additional responsibilities include building and maintaining scenario models for strategic options analysis; supporting M&A due diligence and integration planning with financial modelling; and driving improvements to the FP&A process — reducing cycle time, improving forecast accuracy and developing self-service reporting tools. The FP&A Global Association provides professional development frameworks and certification pathways for FP&A professionals at this level.

Head of FP&A / Director of Financial Planning

The Head of FP&A leads the FP&A function, manages the FP&A team and is the primary owner of the organisation’s financial planning framework. Reporting to the CFO or FD, the Head of FP&A is responsible for the annual strategic planning and budget process; the long-range financial plan; the monthly Board management pack; and the financial analytical support for major strategic initiatives. At this level, the role carries significant Board and ExCo exposure — the Head of FP&A typically presents to the Board or its Finance Committee on a regular basis and is a key contributor to investor, lender and PE sponsor reporting in organisations where those audiences exist. People leadership — building and developing the FP&A team — is a central responsibility.

Core FP&A Responsibilities

Annual Budgeting

The FP&A function leads or coordinates the annual budget process — the detailed financial plan that sets revenue, cost and capital expenditure targets for the coming year. This involves designing the budget process and timeline, working with business unit leaders and the FP&A team to build bottom-up assumptions, consolidating the group budget, stress-testing key assumptions, and presenting the final budget to the Board for approval. The quality of the budget — how realistic it is, how clearly it is communicated, and how effectively it is used as a performance management tool — is a direct reflection of the quality of the FP&A function.

Rolling Forecasting

Rather than measuring performance against a static annual budget for twelve months, leading FP&A functions operate a rolling forecast — typically updated monthly or quarterly — that reflects current trading and operational changes to project the likely full-year or multi-year financial outcome. Rolling forecasts require the FP&A team to work closely with operational and commercial teams to gather current intelligence, update driver-based assumptions and communicate the forecast outlook clearly to senior management. Forecast accuracy — measured as the variance between the forecast and the actual outturn — is one of the most important KPIs for any FP&A function.

Financial Modelling

Financial modelling is the technical core of FP&A. FP&A professionals build and maintain financial models that simulate the financial performance of the business under different assumptions — the integrated P&L, balance sheet and cash flow model used for the annual plan; scenario models for strategic options (pricing changes, capacity investments, market entry decisions); valuation models for M&A; and deal models for lender or investor presentations. Advanced Excel proficiency is a baseline requirement. Increasingly, FP&A professionals are expected to be proficient in planning tools such as Adaptive Insights, Anaplan, Pigment or Vena, and in data visualisation tools such as Power BI or Tableau.

Variance Analysis and Management Reporting

The monthly management reporting pack — presenting actual financial results against budget and prior year with commentary explaining the key variances — is the most visible regular output of the FP&A function. Good variance analysis goes beyond quantifying the gap to explaining the commercial or operational factors driving it and recommending what management should do in response. The management reporting pack is typically presented to the ExCo, Board or PE sponsor and is a key mechanism through which the FP&A function builds its credibility and influence.

Strategic and Scenario Analysis

FP&A professionals provide financial analysis to support strategic decisions — building financial cases for capital investment, modelling the financial impact of different strategic options, running sensitivity analysis to understand how changes in key assumptions affect the financial outcome, and supporting the CFO and CEO in evaluating major commercial decisions. In PE-backed businesses, this work frequently includes preparing financial analysis for bolt-on acquisition due diligence, modelling exit scenarios and preparing materials for the annual review with the PE sponsor.

KPI Frameworks and Performance Dashboards

The FP&A function designs and maintains the KPI framework — the set of financial and operational metrics used to monitor business performance against strategic objectives. This includes defining the metrics, ensuring they are measured consistently and accurately, building the dashboards and reporting tools that make them visible to management, and analysing trends to provide early warning of performance deterioration. Well-designed KPI frameworks connect financial outcomes to the operational drivers that management can actually influence — they are a management tool, not just a reporting exercise.

FP&A in PE-Backed Businesses

In PE-backed businesses, the FP&A function has a profile and importance that exceeds what is typical in non-sponsored corporates of equivalent size. The PE sponsor’s monthly reporting requirements — detailed management accounts, rolling forecasts, covenant monitoring and KPI dashboards — place a significant demand on the finance function, and the quality of the FP&A output is one of the most visible dimensions of finance team performance from the sponsor’s perspective. FP&A professionals who understand the PE reporting environment and who can produce credible, well-presented financial analysis quickly are highly valued in PE-backed businesses. FD Capital’s PE CFO search and outsourced CFO practices work regularly with PE sponsors and portfolio companies on finance team build-out, including FP&A capability.

Qualifications and Experience

Qualifications

The most common qualifications in FP&A are CIMA, ACCA and ACA. CIMA’s management accounting focus — covering financial planning, performance management and decision analysis — is the most directly aligned with FP&A work, and CIMA-qualified candidates make up a significant proportion of the FP&A market. The CFA charter is valued in FP&A roles with significant investment analysis or capital markets content. The FP&A Global Association’s Certified FP&A Professional (FPAC) designation is the specialist qualification for the discipline and is increasingly recognised by employers. Degree-level education in Finance, Economics, Accounting or a numerate subject is typically required.

Experience

For an FP&A Analyst, 1–3 years of finance experience with strong modelling and analytical skills is the typical requirement. For FP&A Manager, 4–7 years of post-qualification experience including direct ownership of a budget or forecast cycle. For Head of FP&A, 8–12 years of experience with team leadership, Board-level reporting and strategic planning exposure. Systems experience — Excel modelling at an advanced level, and familiarity with at least one planning tool and one data visualisation platform — is expected at Manager level and above.

FP&A Salary Guide UK 2026

London salary premiums of 15–25% typically apply. Total compensation includes annual bonus (10–30% of base), car allowance, private medical and pension contributions. For related benchmarks see our Financial Controller Salary Guide and Finance Director Salary Guide.

FP&A Career Path

The most common routes into FP&A are from management accounting (developing financial planning skills from a strong accounting base), from audit or practice (building analytical rigour that transfers into modelling work), or directly from a graduate training programme in a business with a well-developed FP&A function. Progression within FP&A follows the Analyst to Manager to Head of FP&A path, with the Head of FP&A role acting as a natural precursor to a Finance Director or CFO appointment — particularly in businesses where the senior finance leader is expected to be commercially oriented and analytically strong rather than primarily a technical accountant. FP&A professionals with strong Board communication skills and a track record of influencing strategic decisions are among the most promotable finance professionals in the market. See also our Financial Controller Career Path and Finance Business Partner Job Description for the parallel commercial finance tracks.

Related Services

Businesses and finance professionals in or considering FP&A may also be interested in: Financial Controller Recruitment | Finance Director Recruitment | Outsourced CFO | Fractional CFO | Finance Business Partner Job Description | FC Career Path | FC Salary Guide | FD Salary Guide | CFO Executive Search | Private Equity CFO