What happens after the first year in a Lisbon support job? The career path in Lisbon customer support usually follows one of five routes: renewal of the 12 month contract in the same role, a move to quality or training, a step up to team lead or subject matter expert, a transfer to another project or language team, or leaving with a stronger CV than you arrived with. Under Portuguese law a fixed term contract can be renewed up to three times within two years, probation is 90 days at the very start only, and the review that decides your renewal happens around month ten or eleven. For people already living in Lisbon with the right to work in Portugal, these desks are often a first stable job in the country. This article explains what the second year realistically looks like.
How renewal works under Portuguese law
The roles start on a contrato de trabalho a termo certo, a fixed term contract of 12 months. The Código do Trabalho allows this type of contract to be renewed up to three times, within a total duration of two years, after which the relationship either becomes permanent (sem termo) or ends. The probation period, 90 days for a fixed term contract of more than six months, applies once, at the start of the first contract: a renewal never restarts it. If the contract is not renewed, the employer must tell you in writing at least 15 days before the end date, and the law provides a compensation calculated on your base salary per year of service. If you want to leave during a fixed term of less than two years, the notice is 30 days. The labour inspectorate ACT publishes the rules, and the Your Europe portal explains the rights of EU workers in Portugal in plain English.
In practice renewal is the norm on these projects. Around 50 positions are open per brief because volumes keep growing, and a trained agent who knows the tools and the policies is worth far more than a new hire. The people who are not renewed are mostly those with attendance problems or who have already told the team they want to leave.
Performance reviews and KPIs: what gets you noticed
From the end of training, about 15 paid days, your work is measured on a handful of indicators that your team lead reviews with you every month: quality score (a sample of your chats or emails graded against a checklist), average handling time, first contact resolution, customer satisfaction, and adherence to schedule. The performance bonus of up to 200 euros a month is paid on these. Two further reviews matter for your path: a formal one around month six, when probation is long gone and you are judged on consistency, and the one around month ten or eleven that prepares the renewal decision. Keep your own record of scores and of the feedback you receive; it is the material for every internal application later.
Typical roles after 12 to 24 months
Support operations are pyramids with many steps. For every ten agents there is roughly one quality analyst or trainer, one subject matter expert and one team lead, and all of them started on the chat queue or the phones. Here are the usual next roles, with what each one requires.
| Role after 12 to 24 months | What it involves | What it requires |
|---|---|---|
| Senior agent or subject matter expert | Handles escalations, answers colleagues’ questions, tests new tools | Top quality scores for 6 months, deep product knowledge |
| Quality analyst | Grades interactions, runs calibration sessions, coaches on errors | Attention to detail, written English at C2, fairness |
| Trainer | Runs the 15 day onboarding for new groups, updates training material | Clear speaker, patience, comfortable with groups of 15 to 20 |
| Team lead | Manages 12 to 18 agents, schedules, one to ones, KPIs | Reliability, conflict handling, usually 18 months of tenure |
| Real time or workforce analyst | Monitors queues, adjusts breaks and shifts live | Comfort with spreadsheets and numbers, calm under pressure |
| Move to ads support or B2B sales | Advertiser accounts and policy, or outbound sales with commission | Commercial instinct; B2B sales pays a commission of up to 2,000 euros a month |
A realistic timeline of the first two years
Every project has its own calendar, but the sequence below is what most agents on the Lisbon campuses actually live through.
| Period | What usually happens |
|---|---|
| Month 1 | About 15 days of paid training, then supervised live work (nesting) with a buddy |
| Months 1 to 3 | Probation period of 90 days, KPIs ramp up, first bonus possible from month 2 or 3 |
| Months 4 to 6 | Full targets, first formal review, access to internal job postings opens on most projects |
| Months 7 to 10 | Shadowing a quality analyst or trainer, handling escalations, mentoring new hires |
| Months 10 to 12 | Renewal conversation, contract renewed for a further 12 months or a new role proposed |
| Months 13 to 18 | Internal application to quality, training, subject matter expert or team lead; moves to another project or language team |
| Months 19 to 24 | End of the second fixed term: permanent contract, promotion confirmed, or exit with two years of references |
Internal mobility: other projects, languages and shifts
The Oriente and Entrecampos campuses host several projects for a world leading generative AI company, a leading online community platform and a global social media group, and internal postings circulate every week. Moving from customer support to B2B ad sales in Lisbon, where the commission can reach 2,000 euros a month, or to small business ads support in office hours, is common after the first year, with a short internal interview and no new probation. If you speak a second language at native level, bilingual queues open on some projects. A move from nights to days, or the reverse, is also handled internally once a position opens. The EURES job portal is useful to benchmark what equivalent roles pay elsewhere in Europe when you discuss an internal move.
The skills you leave with
Even if you decide to leave after 12 or 24 months, the CV you take with you is stronger than it looks. Written English under time pressure, with quality scores to prove it. Experience of ticketing and CRM tools used by thousands of companies. Measured performance against KPIs, which every employer understands. Policy knowledge on ads, online content and AI products that is in demand in tech, marketing and compliance roles. Shift work discipline, and often a first coaching or management experience. Former agents from these campuses move on to account management, trust and safety, operations, HR and sales roles across Lisbon’s tech sector, and two years of Portuguese payslips and social security contributions also count when you apply for a permanent residence card or for Portuguese citizenship. If you are on a residence permit, see working in Lisbon with a residence permit for what a contract does for your file.
Who can start and how Expat-U helps
These paths all begin with the same entry role. The six briefs open in Lisbon, around 50 positions each, are for people already living in the city, with the right to work in Portugal (EU citizen, valid Portuguese residence card or Portuguese work permit), native or C2 English, working on site at Oriente or Entrecampos. Pay is 1,248 euros gross a month including the holiday and Christmas allowances paid monthly and a meal card, plus up to 200 euros of performance bonus; 22 days of leave and 13 public holidays; a 12 month renewable contract after about 15 days of paid training. Day teams, nights, 24/7 rotations and one Monday to Friday role are available. Expat-U is free for candidates: we present your file, prepare you for the test and the interview and stay in touch during your first months. Browse the Lisbon jobs hub for candidates already in the city, then apply in one minute; a start within a week is possible when your documents are ready.
FAQ
Is the 12 month contract usually renewed?
Yes, renewal is the norm when attendance and quality are in order. Portuguese law allows up to three renewals within two years, after which the contract becomes permanent or ends.
Do I go through probation again when the contract is renewed?
No. The 90 day probation applies once, at the start of the first contract. A renewal or an internal move with the same employer does not restart it.
How soon can I apply for a team lead or quality role?
Internal postings open to most agents after about six months. Quality analyst and trainer roles are realistic from 12 months, team lead from around 18 months, always based on your KPI history.
Can I move from customer support to sales?
Yes. Moves to ads support or B2B sales happen after the first year through a short internal interview. B2B sales adds a commission of up to 2,000 euros a month to the base package.
What notice do I give if I want to leave?
30 days for a fixed term contract of less than two years, in writing. If the employer does not renew, it must inform you 15 days before the end date and pay the compensation set by the Código do Trabalho.
Last updated on 21 October 2026.
