Artificial Intelligence Developer Hiring Trends in Portugal

This report was last updated on Aug 17, 2025

Bence Gedai

Founder

I analyze live hiring data and tech job trends across Europe to give CTOs and Product Leaders a strategic edge. By tracking tens of thousands of open roles each week, I uncover which skills, roles, and locations are in highest demand — potential competitors, typical time to hire, talent pool sizes, and more to help you prioritize hiring, benchmark and stay competitive in a fast-moving market.

Key learnings from this report

The Artificial Intelligence job market in Portugal is currently experiencing fluctuations, with significant peaks and declines in job postings, highlighting a challenging recruitment landscape for hiring managers.
As of the latest data, there are 29,053 job listings for Artificial Intelligence Engineers in Portugal, indicating a robust demand for talent despite inconsistencies in job openings.
A noteworthy concentration of 90% of AI Engineer opportunities are situated in Lisbon, positioning the city as the principal hub for tech talent in Portugal, followed by Porto.
Hiring for Artificial Intelligence Engineers in Portugal presents challenges due to a competitive landscape, with a limited talent pool that makes recruitment efforts increasingly difficult, particularly compared to other European markets.
The median time to hire for Artificial Intelligence Engineers is recorded at 33 days, underlining the need for agile recruitment strategies that can keep pace with the evolving demands of the tech sector.

Number of roles opened and closed for Artificial Intelligence Engineers in Portugal in the last 3 months

Over the past 12 weeks, the job market for Artificial Intelligence Engineers in Portugal has exhibited significant fluctuations. The peak occurred in week 21, with a notable 85 new jobs posted, while week 24 saw a dramatic decline to just 9 openings. In comparison, the closure of jobs has remained relatively consistent, with a high of 86 positions closed in week 26. This trend highlights a concerning imbalance in the demand and supply of Artificial Intelligence roles, especially when contrasted with other technology positions in Portugal. Hiring managers and CTOs must consider these dynamics as the recruitment landscape evolves, particularly as the demand for Artificial Intelligence talent continues to rise across Europe.

Who else is hiring for ai Engineers in Portugal:

Company name	Country	Industry	Founded	# Job openings
Canonical	United Kingdom	Information Technology & Services	2004	11
Escola Superior de Biotecnologia da Universidade Católica Portuguesa	null	null	null	9
Air Apps	United States	Information Technology & Services	2018	9
KCS iT	Portugal	Information Technology & Services	2008	9
Zendesk	United States	Information Technology & Services	2007	8
Devoteam	France	Management Consulting	1995	8
PrimeIT	Portugal	Information Technology & Services	2006	7
Noesis	Portugal	Information Technology & Services	1995	7
Axelera AI	Netherlands	Semiconductors	2021	6
Tripadvisor	United States	Information Technology & Services	2000	5

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Talent pool vs job openings for Artificial Intelligence Engineers in Portugal

How competitive it is to hire Artificial Intelligence Engineers in Portugal

The talent market for Artificial Intelligence Engineers in Europe reveals a complex landscape characterized by varying job openings and talent availability. In Portugal, there are notable job openings, but the size of the available talent pool leads to a ratio that suggests significant competition for these skilled professionals. Compared to other countries such as Germany and the Netherlands, where job openings significantly outnumber the talent pool, hiring in Portugal may be more challenging due to its tighter talent availability. Additionally, countries like France demonstrate similar trends, complicating recruitment efforts for CTOs and hiring managers seeking to meet the future demand for Artificial Intelligence talent effectively.

Seniority distribution of Artificial Intelligence Engineer job openings in Portugal

Seniority Distribution of Artificial Intelligence Engineering Jobs in Portugal

In the dynamic landscape of the Artificial Intelligence job market in Portugal, the distribution of engineering roles by seniority reveals notable trends. The Mid-Senior level accounts for 53% of available positions, making it the most significant segment. Entry-level roles comprise 23% of the market, while Associate positions represent 8%. These figures underscore the need for focused recruitment strategies for CTOs and engineering managers aiming to attract skilled talent in this evolving sector.

Preferred employment type for Engineering roles in Portugal

In the Portuguese job market, the distribution of engineering roles reveals a strong preference for full-time positions, accounting for 94% of the workforce with 29,053 job listings. Contract roles follow, making up 6% with 1,772 opportunities, while part-time positions represent a minimal 2% of the market at 509 listings. This data underscores the prevalent trend towards stable employment in the Artificial Intelligence sector, reflecting the hiring strategies that CTOs and engineering managers should consider when seeking talent.

Time to Hire Distribution for Artificial Intelligence in Portugal

How long does it take to hire Artificial Intelligence Engineers

The time to hire distribution for Artificial Intelligence positions in Portugal reflects notable trends crucial for hiring managers in the tech sector. A significant 191 hires occurred within 30 days, while 136 hires were made within the 25-day timeframe. The data also reveals that the majority of candidates are secured within a 35-day period, with 115 hires completed. However, as the timeframe extends beyond 40 days, the numbers begin to decline sharply. This hiring timeframe emphasizes the importance of agile recruitment strategies for CTOs and tech leads aiming to attract top talent in the competitive Artificial Intelligence job market in Portugal.

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Most popular cities in Portugal to hire Artificial Intelligence Engineers

Top 5 cities in Portugal to hire Artificial Intelligence Engineers

The location distribution for Artificial Intelligence Engineer job openings in Portugal reveals a significant concentration in Lisbon, accounting for 90% of the total job opportunities. Porto follows with 25% of the job market, while remote positions make up about 3%. This concentration in the capital city highlights Lisbon's pivotal role as a hub for Artificial Intelligence talent, as displayed in the accompanying chart.

Most sought after technologies in Portugal for Artificial Intelligence

Key technologies for Artificial Intelligence Engineers

The Artificial Intelligence job market in Portugal is heavily influenced by a variety of technologies, with Python emerging as the most utilized programming language, cited in 7,739 postings. Following closely is Machine Learning, which is key for many AI applications, appearing in 4,944 job listings. SQL and Data Science also play significant roles, with frequencies of 2,543 and 1,439 respectively, highlighting the importance of data management and analysis in AI projects. Additionally, the cloud platform AWS, essential for scalable AI implementations, was referenced in 908 postings. These trends, as illustrated in the accompanying chart, reflect the core competencies sought after by hiring managers in Portugal's rapidly evolving tech sector.

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