Machine Learning 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 job market for Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Engineers in Portugal is characterized by notable fluctuations, with a peak of 21 job openings in week 22 and a significant closure of 35 positions in the same period, indicating a potential oversupply of qualified candidates.
As of the current analysis, Lisbon is the primary hub for Artificial Intelligence Engineer positions, representing 82% of job openings with a total of 2,751 roles available, followed by Porto with 22% (786 positions).
The median time to hire for Artificial Intelligence Engineers in Portugal is 31 days, emphasizing the importance of efficient recruitment strategies for hiring managers aiming to capture top talent quickly.
Approximately 53% of job openings are at the Mid-Senior level, indicating a balanced mix of experience levels in the market, while 30% are entry-level roles, aligning with recruitment strategies for various seniorities among candidates.
The current job market features a competitive landscape with a jobs-to-talent pool ratio of 3:1, suggesting moderate difficulty in hiring, requiring CTOs and engineering managers to adopt strategic approaches tailored to the unique dynamics of the Portuguese tech sector.

Number of roles opened and closed for Machine Learning Engineers in Portugal in the last 3 months

Over the past 12 weeks, the job market for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Engineers in Portugal has demonstrated notable fluctuations. Job postings peaked at 21 roles in week 22 but exhibited a downward trend in subsequent weeks, particularly in weeks 24 and 25, where only 3 new positions were opened each week. In contrast, the closure of jobs has been significant, reaching a high of 35 positions closed in both weeks 22 and 23. This indicates a growing discrepancy between openings and closures, suggesting a potential oversupply of qualified candidates for these roles. Compared to other tech roles in Portugal, the instability in the job market for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Engineers might require CTOs and hiring managers to adopt more strategic recruitment efforts to attract and retain top talent.

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 Machine Learning Engineers in Germany has shown significant variations across countries. In Portugal, the ratio of available talent to job openings suggests a competitive landscape, as reflected in a jobs-to-talent pool ratio of 3:1, indicating a moderate difficulty in hiring. Comparatively, countries like Germany and France demonstrate a tighter labor market with ratios of 2:1 and 1.5:1 respectively, while Poland presents a more favorable scenario with a ratio of 4:1, making it easier for employers to find qualified candidates. As hiring managers evaluate the recruitment strategies for CTOs in Portugal's tech sector, understanding the nuances of these trends will be crucial in navigating the challenging hiring landscape for Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Engineers.

Seniority distribution of Machine Learning Engineer job openings in Portugal

Seniority Distribution of Machine Learning Engineering Jobs in Portugal

In the current job market for Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Engineers in Portugal, the seniority distribution reveals significant trends. Notably, 53% of positions are at the Mid-Senior level, while Entry level roles constitute 30% of the market. Additionally, Associate positions represent 8% of the available jobs, indicating a balanced mix of experience levels that hiring managers should consider when developing recruitment strategies in Portugal's tech sector.

Preferred employment type for Engineering roles in Portugal

The employment type distribution for engineering roles in Portugal reveals a strong preference for full-time positions, which constitute 94% of the market. Contract roles follow at 5%, while part-time positions account for 2%. This distribution indicates a robust demand for stability among employers and professionals in the Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning job market in Portugal.

Time to Hire Distribution for Artificial Intelligence in Portugal

How long does it take to hire Artificial Intelligence Engineers

The time to hire for Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Engineers in Portugal demonstrates a diverse distribution, with a notable concentration of hires occurring within 30 days. Specifically, 191 positions were filled in under 30 days, indicating a strong demand and readiness in the market. In contrast, hiring times extending beyond 60 days account for a smaller fraction, with a total of only 50 positions filled. This trend highlights the urgency for CTOs and hiring managers to expedite their recruitment strategies to secure top talent in the evolving landscape of Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Developer opportunities 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

In Portugal, the job market for Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Engineers is predominantly centered in Lisbon, which accounts for 82% of the relevant job openings with 2,751 positions available. Porto follows as the second major hub with 22% of the openings, representing 786 jobs, while remote positions contribute 3% to the overall landscape, with 90 jobs accessible. This data, illustrated in the accompanying chart, underscores Lisbon's crucial role in the country's tech ecosystem.

Most sought after technologies in Portugal for Machine Learning

Key technologies for Machine Learning Engineers

In the evolving landscape of the Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning job market in Portugal, several key technologies are prevalent among job seekers. Python leads significantly, with a frequency of 6,500 mentions, highlighting its foundational role in AI and machine learning applications. Following closely is SQL, utilized in data manipulation and querying, with 2,543 mentions. Other important technologies include Machine Learning itself, which shows a considerable frequency of 3,788, and Data Science at 1,439, indicating a robust interest in data-driven approaches. As depicted in the accompanying chart, these technologies are critical for hiring managers and CTOs looking to identify suitable candidates for Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Engineer roles.

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