Kantar to Host OutGeekWomen in Tech Porto This February!

Thank you, Kantar, for hosting OutGeekWomen x Porto! As a UK-based powerhouse known for helping clients understand consumer behavior, market trends, and the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, why did you decide to bring your business to Porto?

We’re experts powered by technology. But we can’t be experts without a great tech team behind us. Porto is fast being recognized as a European hotspot for tech talent, home to a deep network of talented people with for the skills companies need to transform, innovate, and grow. Technology is central to our success and the state-of-the-art office in Porto creates an environment where tech talent can thrive.

How does your Porto office compare to your other locations?

We moved to our office in Matosinhos about 18 months ago, which was the first to embrace our new workspace design principles — even before our HQ in London! No two colleagues work in exactly the same way, and we need to make sure we’ve got a space that works for everyone. Designed around collaboration and connection, as well as accessibility and sustainability, our Porto workspace has been set up to be a space that welcomes everyone. Plus, the proximity to the beach doesn’t hurt!

As well as being a Tech Hub, Porto is also one of our Shared Service Hubs, so you’ll find more Functions-based colleagues than in some of our other offices, like Lisbon. No matter which office you’re based in, you’ll still find multi-skilled colleagues that are always willing to help. We’re a very global company, so you’ll frequently be working with people based in other countries worldwide.

Could you sum up the atmosphere at your Porto office in three words?

People-focused, vibrant, welcoming.

What distinguishes working for Kantar from other companies in Porto and makes it such a rewarding experience?

Our purpose is all about shaping the brands of tomorrow by better understanding people everywhere. And we can’t do that without understanding our people as well. When we say people are at the heart of what we do and who we are, it’s not just a corporate line, it really is who we are as a business. Whenever we ask our colleagues for feedback, the number one thing that always comes out is how great our people are.

Our Tech Hub in Porto only opened about two years ago; and we’re really investing in the latest technologies, like looking at how we can use AI to support our research and insights. We’re definitely on a Tech journey, and by joining so early on, you can be part of putting your own stamp on how we operate for years to come.

How does Kantar support and contribute to women in the tech community in Porto and Portugal in general?

Our Women in Technology group is an employee-led initiative to create a great place for women to work in technology roles while building a sustainable competitive advantage for Kantar. At the core of Kantar’s values, we believe that more diverse teams create greater innovation with more diverse approaches, questions and ideas. Gender equity is at the heart of this. Our mission is to boost our women in technology roles to foster mentoring relationships within and outside our company, to shape their careers and to showcase a supportive global community in which women are connected to, inspired by, and encouraged each other to realise their passions.

We provide a platform to celebrate our women’s contributions, as seen in our partnership with Globant’s Women That Build Awards, while attracting the best women to join our team and become role models for the next generation of technology talent. That said, Women in Tech is for anyone with an interest in technology, whether in a data-first role or a casual gamer. It forms part of our global Women at Kantar Employee Resource Group (ERG) and has successfully upskilled internal facilitators to run #IAMRemarkable workshops while also encouraging community outreach across our offices to build a more inclusive world.

Could you provide an overview of the technical job openings at Kantar Porto for this autumn? Which specific positions are you looking to fill during OutGeekWomen x Porto in February?

It’s always hard to predict exactly what jobs we’ll be hiring for and when, but there are a few roles and skills we usually look often. We’re always keeping an eye out for Software Developers with .NET skills, as well as Cloud Engineers and Data Engineers. In terms of the tech we use, along with .NET, it’s mostly C#, Angular and React, as well as Azure cloud technologies.

Thank you, Kantar!

Tickets for OutGeekWomen in Tech x Porto are free, naturally, and can be found via also via outgeek.org and OutGeekWomen in Tech Eventbrite here. We can’t wait to welcome women in tech and everyone to the event!