AI Automation Engineer Jobs in Spain: Opportunities, Skills & Salaries

Why Spain is a growing market for AI automation engineers

Spain has seen sustained investment in AI, automation and cloud infrastructure across sectors such as finance, manufacturing, healthcare and logistics. Cities like Barcelona and Madrid host vibrant startup communities, research centers and multinational offices that need engineers who can design, implement and scale automated AI systems. Demand comes from two directions: companies automating business processes with RPA tools and teams deploying machine learning models into production (MLOps). Remote and hybrid roles are increasingly common, and many firms hire engineers who can bridge data science, software engineering and DevOps to reduce time-to-value for AI initiatives.

Skills, tools and certifications employers in Spain look for

Hiring managers typically look for a mix of core programming and AI skills plus automation-specific tools. Key technical skills: Python, SQL, data engineering fundamentals, model training with TensorFlow or PyTorch, model evaluation and monitoring, and a strong understanding of APIs and microservices. Automation and productionization skills: Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD pipelines, MLflow or Kubeflow, cloud services (AWS, Google Cloud, Azure), and experience with event-driven architectures. RPA experience (UiPath, Automation Anywhere, Blue Prism) is valuable for process automation roles. Soft skills include problem solving, cross-team communication and product-minded thinking. Helpful certifications: UiPath or Automation Anywhere certifications, Google Professional Machine Learning Engineer, AWS Certified Machine Learning, TensorFlow Developer, and Kubernetes (CKA). Showcase your work with a GitHub portfolio, reproducible demo projects, and clear documentation — Spanish language skills are a plus but many tech teams operate in English.

How to find and land AI automation engineer roles in Spain

Start with targeted job boards and networks: LinkedIn, InfoJobs, Tecnoempleo, Glassdoor and AngelList for startup roles. Attend local meetups and conferences in Barcelona, Madrid and other tech hubs to meet hiring managers and recruiters. Tailor your CV to highlight automation outcomes (reduced latency, improved throughput, cost savings) and include links to deployable demos or notebooks. Prepare for interviews that test system design, coding, ML concepts and deployment scenarios; be ready to discuss tradeoffs, monitoring strategies and rollback plans. Salary expectations vary by region and experience: junior roles often start around €30k–€40k, mid-level €45k–€70k, and senior/lead roles €70k–€110k+ depending on company and location. For non-EU candidates, clarify visa sponsorship: many companies sponsor work visas for qualified candidates, and larger firms are familiar with hiring internationally. Negotiate on total compensation, remote/hybrid flexibility and professional development support.