Project Manager - Data & AI Projects

Location: Hybrid (Porto)

About Apgar

Apgar is an international consulting firm specialised in Enterprise Context Management, Data Management, Data Governance and Artificial Intelligence. We help organisations transform data into sustainable business value by combining business expertise, technology and effective delivery. At Apgar, you will be part of an international, collaborative and results-oriented environment, contributing to complex and high-impact projects.

The Challenge

We are looking for a Project Manager who can combine end-to-end project management with strong financial and operational project oversight. You will play a central role in coordinating complex Data & AI projects involving internal teams, external partners and multiple stakeholders.

In addition to core project management activities, you will actively support financial control, ensuring the reliability of project information, identifying variances and working with stakeholders to understand and resolve their underlying causes. This role requires someone who is equally comfortable working in detail with budgets, forecasts and financial data, and coordinating stakeholders, managing risks and priorities, and producing clear information to support decision-making.

Your Responsibilities

• Manage and coordinate Data & AI projects from planning through execution, monitoring and closure.
• Define and maintain project scope, milestones, work plans, responsibilities, dependencies, resources and budgets.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary teams and external partners, ensuring alignment on priorities, responsibilities, deliverables and timelines.
• Daily project management by organizing project governance and operational meetings, prepare agendas, presentations, and minutes, document decisions, assign follow-up actions, and monitor their completion.
• Monitor project financial performance and ensure consistency across budgets, forecasts and actual costs.
• Reconcile and analyse financial and operational information, identifying variances, inconsistencies and trends requiring attention.
• Work with Finance, project teams and other stakeholders to understand the causes of variances and define the required corrective actions.
• Support project investment capitalisation activities and ensure the quality and traceability of the underlying information.
• Prepare periodic project reporting by consolidating operational and financial information.
• Produce status reports, dashboards, executive presentations and project documentation, translating detailed information into clear management insights.
• Maintain project risk, issue, decision and action logs, ensuring consistent follow-up through to resolution.
• Organise and facilitate project governance and follow-up meetings, ensuring clear decisions, action ownership and next steps.
• Ensure the quality, organisation and traceability of project documentation and key deliverables.
• Promote effective project management practices and continuous improvement in project monitoring and control.

Profile We Are Looking For

Must Have

• +2 years of Professional experience in Project Management, PMO or a comparable role.
• Hands-on experience managing projects across planning, scope, milestones, risks, dependencies, budgets and reporting.
• Strong ownership and reliable follow-through, taking issues through to resolution rather than only reporting them.
• Experience in project financial oversight, with the ability to analyse budgets, forecasts, costs and variances.
• Strong analytical skills and very good command of Excel, including the ability to structure, reconcile and analyse financial and operational data.
• Ability to investigate discrepancies, identify root causes and work with different stakeholders to resolve them.
• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail, while maintaining a clear view of the wider project objectives.
• Ability to coordinate multiple stakeholders, including technical teams, Finance, management and external partners.
• Experience preparing management reports and executive-level presentations.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and work effectively in complex project environments.
• Excellent written and spoken English.

How We Measure Success (6-12 months)

• Budget, forecast, cost and other financial information is reconciled, accurate and kept up to date.
• Milestones, risks, issues, decisions and actions are monitored consistently and proactively.
• Financial or delivery variances are identified early, understood and addressed through clear action plans.
• Management receives clear, objective and reliable information to support timely decisions.
• Internal and external stakeholders remain aligned on responsibilities, priorities, dependencies and next steps.
• Problems are investigated, the right stakeholders are mobilised and actions are followed through to resolution.
• Project documentation, governance and control processes are maintained with consistency and rigour.

Differentiators

• Experience with European R&D funds and projects.
• Experience with Data, Artificial Intelligence, software or technology transformation projects.
• Experience coordinating complex projects involving multiple companies, suppliers or partners.
• Experience in financial project control, project accounting or investment capitalisation.
• Knowledge of SAP and/or Ariba.
• Knowledge of Agile, Waterfall or hybrid project management methodologies.
• A project management certification such as PMP, PRINCE2, IPMA, AgilePM, Scrum or equivalent.

What We Offer

• An international environment and challenging projects in Data & AI.
• A high level of autonomy and meaningful responsibility for project outcomes.
• The opportunity to work with multidisciplinary teams and external partners.
• Professional development in a role combining Project Management, financial oversight, technology and innovation.
• Continuous learning and development opportunities.
• A flexible hybrid working model.
• A competitive compensation and benefits package.

Ready to take the next step in your career? Let’s talk about your future in Data & AI!

We firmly believe in an ethical approach to recruitment, where every candidate is treated with consideration, fairness and transparency throughout the selection process, respecting diversity, inclusion and equal opportunities.