The short version

An FP&A consultant builds and runs the financial planning and analysis that tells a business where it's heading: budgets, forecasts, models, and the reporting that turns numbers into decisions. Hiring one on a contract or fractional basis gives you senior FP&A capability for a planning cycle, a build-out, or a gap, without a permanent hire.

• Typical engagement: a few weeks to several months, or ongoing fractional
• Rates in Australia: A$1,000 to A$1,700/day, or A$110 to A$190/hour
• Common focus areas: budgeting, forecasting, modelling, reporting, FP&A build-out
• Hire one when: building FP&A, a planning cycle, a board reporting overhaul, or a gap
• Time to deploy: Curated shortlists in 48 hours via Expert360
• Engagement types: Contract, interim, fractional, or project-based

What is an FP&A consultant?

An FP&A (financial planning and analysis) consultant is a senior finance specialist who builds and runs the forward-looking side of finance: budgeting, forecasting, financial modelling, scenario planning, and the management and board reporting that turns financial data into decisions. Where an accountant records what has happened, FP&A is about what happens next, helping leadership understand performance, plan ahead, and make better-informed calls. An FP&A consultant brings this capability at a senior level, often building or upgrading the function rather than just operating it.

In Australia, businesses hire FP&A consultants to build an FP&A function from scratch as they scale, run or overhaul a budgeting and forecasting cycle, rebuild messy board reporting, implement a planning tool, or cover a senior FP&A gap. Demand has grown as finance has shifted decisively from transactional work toward business partnering and decision support, and as planning tools (Anaplan, Power BI, and others) have raised what's possible. Many FP&A consultants are former finance leaders or senior analysts who specialise in the discipline, giving businesses senior planning capability exactly when they need it.

The role sits among several adjacent ones:

• FP&A consultant: builds and runs financial planning and analysis at a senior level
• Financial analyst: does the FP&A work, often more hands-on and less senior
• Finance manager: runs the whole function, of which FP&A is one part
• Financial modeller: specialises specifically in building models
• Fractional CFO: the most senior strategic finance leader

When you describe your situation to Expert360, we help you work out which of these you actually need before you commit to a hire.

When should you hire an FP&A consultant?

Most businesses bring in an FP&A consultant for a specific build, cycle, or gap, not as a permanent role. The clearest signals:

• You're building FP&A from scratch. The business has scaled to the point where it needs a proper planning and analysis function, and you need someone to build it.
• It's budgeting or planning season. The annual budget or a major re-forecast needs senior ownership and capacity to run it well and on time.
• Your reporting needs an overhaul. Management or board reporting has become messy, manual, or unconvincing, and you need it rebuilt into something clear and decision-useful.
• You're implementing a planning tool. You're rolling out Anaplan, Power BI, or a similar tool and need FP&A expertise to design and embed it properly.
• You're covering a senior gap. Your head of FP&A or senior analyst has left or is on leave, and the planning and reporting can't simply pause.
• The board wants better numbers. Investors or the board need more rigorous forecasting, scenario analysis, and reporting than the function currently produces.

If two or more of these sound familiar, an FP&A consultant is likely the right next step.

How much does an FP&A consultant cost in Australia?

FP&A consultants are usually priced on a day rate or hourly basis, scaling with seniority, the complexity of the business, and whether the work is building the function or running it.

The below rates are indicative only. Experts in our network set their own rates, and you'll be able to compare real rates after requesting a talent shortlist.

FP&A consultant: A$1,000–A$1,300/day

Runs forecasting, budgeting, modelling, and reporting within a defined scope. Suits a business needing senior FP&A capacity for a cycle or project. Good value for a planning cycle or a reporting build.

Senior FP&A consultant: A$1,300–A$1,500/day

Owns the FP&A function or a significant build-out end to end, and partners with leadership and the board. Suits most contract and interim needs where the consultant works independently and shapes the function.

Specialist or FP&A lead: A$1,500–A$1,700+/day

Deep expertise in a specific tool (Anaplan, advanced modelling) or building a sophisticated FP&A capability in a complex business. Commands a premium for the specialism and the seniority.

For ongoing needs, many FP&A consultants work fractionally at the equivalent rate, effectively a part-time head of FP&A. Project-based fixed fees are common for a defined build, such as standing up reporting or a planning model.

What drives the variance:

• Build versus run: building a function costs more than operating an existing one
• Tools and sophistication: Anaplan and advanced capability command a premium
• Business complexity: multi-entity or complex businesses lift the rate
• Seniority: genuine FP&A leadership costs more than execution

Compared to a permanent senior FP&A hire (A$140,000 to A$200,000+ plus super), a contract or fractional FP&A consultant suits a build, a cycle, or a gap, matched to the actual need and duration rather than carrying a full-time salary before the workload is continuous.

FP&A consultant vs financial analyst vs fractional CFO: what's the difference?

This is the question most businesses are working through: these roles sit along a spectrum of seniority and breadth. Here's how they differ.

An FP&A consultant builds and runs financial planning and analysis at a senior level, often shaping or upgrading the function. Best when you need senior planning capability or a build. Day rates run A$1,000 to A$1,700/day.

A financial analyst does the FP&A work hands-on, usually more execution than function-building. Best when you need analytical capacity rather than senior ownership. Contract rates run A$55 to A$95+/hour.

A fractional CFO provides the most senior strategic finance leadership, of which FP&A is one part. Best when you need top-level financial leadership, not just planning. Priced fractionally.

A financial modeller specialises specifically in building models for a defined purpose. Best when the core need is a model, not ongoing planning and analysis. Day rates run A$1,000 to A$1,800/day.

The most useful distinction is seniority and scope within the forward-looking side of finance. A financial analyst executes the FP&A work; an FP&A consultant operates at a more senior level, building and shaping the function and partnering with leadership; a fractional CFO sits above FP&A as the overall finance leader. If you need someone to do the analysis, an analyst fits; if you need someone to build or own the planning function, an FP&A consultant; if you need strategic finance leadership across everything, a CFO. They form a natural ladder.

When you describe your situation to Expert360, we help you figure out which role you actually need rather than defaulting to the title you came in with.

What does an FP&A consultant actually do?

The day-to-day varies by engagement, but most FP&A consulting work covers some combination of the following.

• Budgeting and forecasting: Building and running the budget and forecast process, and the driver-based models that underpin it.
• Financial modelling: Constructing the planning models, scenarios, and sensitivities that let leadership test decisions and plan ahead.
• Management and board reporting: Designing and producing the reporting that turns financial data into a clear performance story for leadership and the board.
• Business partnering: Working with the business on decisions (pricing, investment, cost, growth) with the analysis to support them.
• FP&A function build: Where the engagement is a build, designing the processes, models, reporting, and tools that make up a proper FP&A capability.
• Tools and systems: Implementing or improving the planning and reporting tools (Anaplan, Power BI, and others) that make FP&A faster and more reliable.

A typical engagement might involve assessing the current planning and reporting setup, then building or running the relevant work, a budget cycle, a reporting rebuild, a function build-out, or covering a gap, and finishing with embedding it and handing over. A good FP&A consultant leaves the business with better planning, clearer reporting, and the ability to make more informed decisions.

How to choose the right FP&A consultant

The real risk in hiring an FP&A consultant is rarely technical finance ability. It's whether they can turn planning and analysis into something leadership actually uses to decide, and whether they build things the business can sustain after they leave, because FP&A that depends entirely on the consultant fails when they go. A few criteria separate a good hire from an expensive one.

• Genuine FP&A seniority. Look for someone who has built or led FP&A, not just done analysis. Building a function is a different skill from executing within one.
• Commercial partnering ability. The best FP&A consultants connect the numbers to decisions. Look for evidence of analysis and planning that changed what a business did.
• The right tools. If the role needs Anaplan, Power BI, or advanced modelling, confirm real proficiency. Tools fluency drives both quality and speed.
• Build-to-last mindset. Look for someone who builds sustainable processes and models the team can run, not a black box only they understand.
• Business and sector fit. Match the consultant's experience to your size, complexity, and sector, since FP&A in a scale-up differs from a multi-entity enterprise.
• References tied to outcomes. A reference from a similar build or cycle, with a real result, tells you far more than a general endorsement.

Expert360's vetting screens for genuine FP&A seniority, commercial partnering, and tools proficiency, so the shortlist you see reflects consultants who can build planning and analysis your leadership will actually use.

Frequently asked questions

What does an FP&A consultant do?

An FP&A (financial planning and analysis) consultant builds and runs the forward-looking side of finance: budgeting, forecasting, financial modelling, scenario planning, and the management and board reporting that turns financial data into decisions. They operate at a senior level, often building or upgrading the FP&A function and partnering with leadership, rather than simply executing the analysis.

What does FP&A stand for?

FP&A stands for financial planning and analysis. It's the forward-looking part of finance, focused on budgets, forecasts, models, scenario planning, and decision-useful reporting, as distinct from accounting, which records and reports what has already happened. FP&A helps a business understand its performance, plan ahead, and make better-informed decisions about the future.

How much does an FP&A consultant cost in Australia?

FP&A consultants in Australia typically charge A$1,000 to A$1,700 per day (roughly A$110 to A$190/hour) depending on seniority and whether the work is building the function or running it. Consultants for a defined cycle sit at the lower end, those owning a function or build-out in the middle, and specialists with advanced tools at the top. Many work fractionally for ongoing needs.

What's the difference between an FP&A consultant and a financial analyst?

A financial analyst does the FP&A work hands-on, usually execution-focused, while an FP&A consultant operates at a more senior level, building and shaping the function and partnering with leadership. If you need analytical capacity, an analyst fits; if you need someone to build or own the planning function and connect it to decisions, an FP&A consultant. They sit at different points on the same ladder.

Should I hire an FP&A consultant or build a permanent function?

Hire a consultant to build the function, run a specific cycle, overhaul reporting, or cover a gap, especially when you need senior capability immediately for a defined period. A permanent FP&A hire makes sense once the planning and analysis workload is continuous and at sufficient scale. Many businesses use a consultant to build the capability, then maintain it with a permanent (often more junior) hire.

What tools should an FP&A consultant know?

Beyond advanced Excel, look for proficiency in the planning and reporting tools your business uses or plans to: Anaplan, Workday Adaptive, or similar for planning, and Power BI or Tableau for reporting and visualisation. The specific tools matter because fluency drives quality and speed. Match the requirement to your actual or intended stack rather than asking for everything.

How quickly can I hire an FP&A consultant through Expert360?

Expert360 can provide a curated shortlist of vetted FP&A consultants within 48 hours, with most able to start within days, which matters when a planning cycle is approaching or a gap has opened. Because the network is pre-vetted, you skip the early screening and move straight to assessing fit for your business, your tools, and whether you need a build or someone to run an existing function.