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Artificial Intelligence Developer Hiring Trends in Lisbon, Portugal

This report was last updated on Aug 24, 2025

Bence Gedai / Founder

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 Engineers in Lisbon has shown fluctuating activity, with a peak of 37 new job postings in week 26 and a net decrease overall due to higher closings, indicating increased competition among hiring managers.
  • The talent pool for Artificial Intelligence Engineers in Lisbon is currently estimated at 3,000 professionals, with 1,500 job openings, resulting in a talent-to-job ratio of 2.0, which suggests a moderate level of hiring difficulty compared to other European countries.
  • Python leads the list of key technologies essential for job seekers in the Artificial Intelligence field in Lisbon, followed by machine learning, SQL, and Data Science, underscoring the skills required for potential hires.
  • Lisbon dominates the landscape for Artificial Intelligence job openings in Portugal, boasting 2,774 listings, which constitutes 80% of the total market, making it the prime location for recruitment efforts in this sector.
  • The median time to hire for Artificial Intelligence Engineers in Portugal is currently 33 days, with a concentration of hiring occurring within the 25 to 30-day range, emphasizing the importance of agile recruitment strategies for hiring managers.
Number of roles opened and closed for Artificial Intelligence Engineers in Lisbon in the last 3 months

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

Over the past 12 weeks, the job market for Artificial Intelligence Engineers in Portugal Lisbon has exhibited fluctuating activity. Notably, the peak occurred in week 26 with 37 new postings, while the lowest point was just 5 new jobs in week 24. In contrast to closed positions, which peaked at 44 in week 26 and remained significant throughout the period, the overall trend shows a net decrease in available roles as closings frequently outpaced openings. This dynamic indicates increasing competition among hiring managers in Lisbon and highlights the necessity for effective recruitment strategies to attract top talent in the Artificial Intelligence sector, particularly given similar trends observed across Europe.

Who else is hiring for ai Engineers in Portugal:

Company name Country Industry Founded # Job openings
Canonical logo Canonical United Kingdom Information Technology & Services 2004 12
Escola Superior de Biotecnologia da Universidade Católica Portuguesa logo Escola Superior de Biotecnologia da Universidade Católica Portuguesa null null null 9
Air Apps logo Air Apps United States Information Technology & Services 2018 9
KCS iT logo KCS iT Portugal Information Technology & Services 2008 9
Zendesk logo Zendesk United States Information Technology & Services 2007 8
Devoteam logo Devoteam France Management Consulting 1995 8
Revolut logo Revolut United Kingdom Financial Services 2015 7
AgileEngine logo AgileEngine United States Information Technology & Services 2010 7
PrimeIT logo PrimeIT Portugal Information Technology & Services 2006 7
Noesis logo Noesis Portugal Information Technology & Services 1995 6

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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 job market for Artificial Intelligence Engineers in Portugal, particularly in Lisbon, is characterized by a competitive landscape. With a job openings count of 1,500 and a talent pool size of 3,000, the ratio of talent pool to job openings stands at 2.0, suggesting moderate hiring difficulty. In comparison, countries like Germany and France exhibit lower ratios at 1.5 and 1.8 respectively, indicating a tighter labor market. Conversely, the UK shows a more favorable ratio of 2.5, highlighting an easier hiring environment. This assessment underlines the need for strategic recruitment approaches for CTOs operating within Lisbon's tech sector, as the demand for qualified talent is on the rise against a backdrop of increasing job opportunities.

Seniority distribution of Artificial Intelligence Engineer job openings in Lisbon

Seniority Distribution of Artificial Intelligence Engineering Jobs in Lisbon

The seniority distribution of Artificial Intelligence Engineering jobs in Lisbon reveals a significant concentration at the Mid-Senior level, comprising 66% of available positions. Entry-level roles follow, accounting for 21% of the market, while Associate positions contribute 11%. This distribution underscores the strong demand for experienced professionals, indicating that hiring managers in Portugal should focus on strategies to attract Mid-Senior level talent to remain competitive in the evolving tech landscape.

Chart about preferred employment type for Engineering roles in Portugal

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, accounting for 94% of the market. Contract roles follow at 5%, while Part-time positions represent 1%. This data highlights the stability that hiring managers can expect in the Artificial Intelligence Engineers job market trends in Portugal, particularly in Lisbon.

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 Engineers in Portugal demonstrates a broad distribution, with a noticeable concentration of hires occurring within the 25 to 30-day range, representing 133 and 174 instances, respectively. Shorter hiring periods are less frequent, with only 4 positions filled immediately, while a significant number of roles take upwards of 35 days to close—indicating a competitive talent landscape. For hiring managers in Lisbon, these insights suggest that adopting agile recruitment strategies may be crucial to securing top talent swiftly, especially given emerging trends in the Artificial Intelligence job market in this region.

Expolore reports from other European Developer talent pools

Most popular cities in Portugal to hire Artificial Intelligence Engineers

Top 5 cities in Portugal to hire Artificial Intelligence Engineers

In the analysis of the location distribution for Artificial Intelligence Engineers job openings within Portugal, Lisbon stands out prominently with 2774 job listings, accounting for 80% of the total. Following Lisbon, Porto offers a significantly smaller share with 791 openings, representing 22% of the overall market. Notably, remote positions contribute a lesser extent with 3% of the opportunities, indicating a strong local preference for roles concentrated in these major cities. Please see the accompanying chart for a detailed visual representation of this data.

Most sought after technologies in Lisbon for Artificial Intelligence

Key technologies for Artificial Intelligence Engineers

In the evolving landscape of the Artificial Intelligence job market in Portugal, particularly in Lisbon, certain technologies stand out as critical for job seekers and hiring managers alike. Python is the leading programming language, with a frequency of 7,506, making it a fundamental skill for aspiring Artificial Intelligence Engineers. Following Python, machine learning demonstrates significant usage with 4,950 mentions, reflecting its central role in the development of intelligent systems. SQL and Data Science also show strong presence, being cited 2,298 and 1,424 times, respectively, highlighting the importance of data management and analytical skills in AI projects. For further insights on technology trends, please refer to the accompanying chart.

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