How to secure an FP&A Director role according to expert finance recruiters

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Financial planning and analysis (FP&A) is one of the key functional areas businesses are hiring into for 2026.

Targeting a role as director of financial planning and analysis doesn’t just open the door to myriad career opportunities - you could also enjoy board-level exposure and some of the most competitive salaries in finance. Our recruitment experts share details on how to put yourself on track for the role.

Why the FP&A director role is an excellent career move

Direct impact on future business strategy

An FP&A director has a direct hand in shaping the strategy and performance of the whole organisation. They’re charged with analysing financial performance and using that intel to guide leadership on future decisions and trend interpretation. This includes shaping investment decisions, pricing strategy, and making board-level recommendations.

Competitive salary

The FP&A salary is among the highest in finance, with the Head of Fp&A’s salary ranging from £90,000 - £130,000 and an FP&A director able to earn between £110,000 and £175,000. This can increase by location and skill set and professionals with some of the in-demand skills listed below could negotiate for more.

Exposure to leadership and key stakeholders

Directing financial planning and analysis can forge a path to the C-suite - many chief finance officers (CFOs) have FP&A experience. The role also includes advantageous exposure to the board via presentations and investment cases.

What does an FP&A director do in today’s UK market?

Organisations are currently operating in a fast-moving, fast-changing, and volatile business landscape. The FP&A director is critical to anticipating risks and opportunities; rather than creating annual or static reports, they’re stepping up with real-time insights, modelling, and forecasting to keep businesses operating at a profit in volatile times.

Now that AI and automation are transforming the workplace, the FP&A director leads technology-enabled planning - a core capability in the modern workplace as new tools remove manual tasks and make large data sets easier to parse.

Finally, the FP&A director has become the link between finance, operations, sales, and leadership teams. Their financial insights are integral to performance-driving strategies around pricing, investment, headcount planning, and resource allocation. During a time when planning cycles are getting shorter and businesses are moving faster, growth and resilience rely on the FP&A director’s skill.

Forging your pathway to an FP&A director role

Build strong analytical foundations

It’s important to build planning and analytical capabilities through foundational roles like FP&A analyst or commercial finance analyst. Starting your career path here can build experience with large data sets and financial models while also giving you hands-on experience with forecasting and budgeting.

Increase your levels of responsibility

With the foundational skills learned, you’ll want to take on responsibilities that broaden your impact on the business. Put yourself forward to lead full budget cycles or own forecasting rounds. You can also start partnering with non-financial functions to gain a firmer understanding of their numbers and operations.

Focus on influence and leadership skills

Targeting roles such as FP&A manager or head of financial planning and analysis will give you valuable experience managing a team of analysts, strategic decision-making, and influencing senior stakeholders.

“An FP&A Director role is a powerful career accelerator because it puts you at the centre of business strategy, not just finance. You work closely with senior leadership to shape budgets, forecasts, and key decisions, giving you high visibility and real influence over company performance. It builds a strong mix of financial, strategic, and leadership skills while exposing you to all parts of the business, making it one of the most direct paths to senior roles like CFO.” Says Simon Bennet, Client Services Director at Robert Half.

“Overall, it turns you from a numbers-focused professional into a well-rounded commercial business leader, who can visualise what the numbers mean to non-finance heads and help shape narratives that drive business direction.”

Must-have skills and experience

Advanced data analytics

With large data sets and sophisticated AI reporting in play, your ability to extract meaningful insights—rather than just reporting—will be critical. According to our data, it’s one of the most in-demand skills for the finance sector in 2026, and its importance to the FP&A director role cannot be understated.

Scenario modelling, budgeting, and forecasting

Another cluster of in-demand skills for the 2026 finance hiring market is the ability to perform budgeting, forecasting, and scenario modelling using large datasets, flexibly and on demand, while accounting for complex factors.

Commercial acumen

Truly valuable FP&A professionals can interpret numbers in a commercial context, translating financial insight into decisions that affect pricing, resource allocation, investment and operational performance.

Read: Why commercial acumen is important for your finance career

Generative AI solutions use

Our research shows that experience with AI-enabled tools is among the top finance and accounting skills for 2026. In an FP&A context, this means understanding how to automate repetitive tasks, scale analysis, and govern AI-generated outputs responsibly.

Are you ready to begin your pathway to the FP&A director role? Upload your CV to the Robert Half site today or browse open roles. To learn more about skills, salaries, and hiring trends in finance for 2026, explore the Robert Half Salary Guide.

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