At VML, we are a beacon of innovation and growth in an ever-evolving world. Our heritage is built upon a century of combined expertise, where creativity meets technology, and diverse perspectives ignite inspiration. With the merger of VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson, we have forged a new path as a growth partner that is part creative agency, part consultancy, and part technology powerhouse.Our global family now encompasses over 30,000 employees across 150+ offices in 64 markets, each contributing to a culture that values connection, belonging, and the power of differences. Our expertise spans the entire customer journey, offering deep insights in communications, commerce, consultancy, CRM, CX, data, production, and technology. We deliver end-to-end solutions that result in revolutionary work.Lead Performance Engineerrequired to join our growing team in Portugal. This is a pivotal, permanent role that combines deep, hands‐on technical expertise with strategic leadership, client engagement, and mentorship. Reporting to the Principal Performance Engineer, you will be a key figure responsible for safeguarding and enhancing the performance, scalability, and reliability of our clients' critical digital platforms.What You'll Be DoingLeadership, Strategy & Client EngagementAct as a performance engineering consultant for key clients, building strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, providing expert guidance, and confidently leading technical discussions to non‐technical audiences.Champion the value of performance engineering across the business, demonstrating its impact on user experience, conversion, and client ROI.Mentor and guide junior to mid‐level engineers, fostering a culture of performance excellence and continuous learning.Contribute to and implement wider performance engineering strategies, evolving practices, and tooling (e.g., K6, Playwright, APM tools). Collaborate with account and leadership teams to identify opportunities and contribute to commercial proposals.Hands‐on & Release ActivitiesLead performance testing efforts, including workload modelling, test execution, root cause analysis, and reporting.Develop and present clear, actionable reports on key performance metrics (including Core Web Vitals) to both technical and business stakeholders.Own the configuration and maintenance of APM and observability tools (e.g., New Relic, Data Dog, Dynatrace), including designing meaningful dashboards and robust alerting strategies, as dedicated observability engineers are not always present.Act as the performance authority within development teams, providing expertise and oversight, particularly regarding the impact of changes on analytics and sales revenue.Drive the agenda for performance optimisation, introducing new testing capabilities within allocated projects.What We Want from YouProgramming: Strong proficiency in Java Script/Type Script is critical for new development in K6; additional languages (e.g., Python, Java) are a plus.Performance Tooling: Deep, practical expertise with APM/RUM tools like New Relic (our primary tool), Data Dog, App Dynamics, or Dynatrace. Strong hands‐on proficiency with modern load‐testing tools, specifically K6 and Playwright; experience with JMeter and Locust is also valuable. Experience with K6 browser testing is a significant advantage.Cloud Platform Experience: Demonstrable experience on major cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, GCP, Azure).Web Technologies: Solid experience with front‐end performance analysis (Core Web Vitals) and a strong grasp of platforms and architectural concepts (e.g., Next.js, Magento, SAP Hybris, Shopify).Analytical Skills: Strong analytical and problem‐solving skills, with an understanding of concepts like parameterisation in performance testing.Leadership & Soft SkillsCommunication: Exceptional communication skills with the ability to curate the right level of content for different audiences, from developers to senior leadership.Growth Mindset: A proactive, self‐starting attitude with the drive to push boundaries and champion best practices. You remain cool and collected under pressure, can handle constructive feedback, and have a keen awareness of emerging technologies.Mentorship & Collaboration: A passion for mentoring with proven experience guiding less experienced engineers. You share knowledge proactively, collaborate across disciplines, and advocate for integrating performance early in the SDLC.Strategic Thinking: Ability to connect dots between complex business challenges and technical solutions, collaborating with architects and other subject‐matter experts to drive results, moving beyond a siloed approach.Consultancy & Business AcumenClient Leadership: An assertive and confident approach to client engagement, with the ability to act as a trusted advisor and stand your ground effectively on large, complex projects.Commercial Mindset: Strong commercial acumen, comfortable discussing business drivers like cost and ROI, and an eagerness to contribute to business development activities.If You Know Some Of This, Even BetterDeeper e Commerce Expertise: Proven experience in performance testing and analysis of e‐commerce applications, preferably with platforms like IBM Web Sphere Commerce, SAP Hybris, Magento, or SFCC Sports.Broader Stack Exposure: Experience with SRE practices, caching/CDNs, containerisation (Docker/Kubernetes), or infrastructure‐as‐code (e.g., Terraform) from a performance perspective.Continuous Delivery Integration: Experience implementing performance testing and performance gates in CI/CD pipelines, including test automation, environment strategy, and integration with observability tooling.Formal Line Management Experience: Experience managing one or more team members with accountability for professional development, performance management, and day‐to‐day well‐being.Front‐end Performance Analysis: Experience with front‐end page load analysis, profiling, and optimisation using tools like Web Page Test, Page Speed Insights, Speed Curve, or sitespeed.io.What We Can Offer YouAlongside the opportunity to work with some of the most exciting brands around the world, we'll also prioritise your career development and help you grow your skills. We'll empower you to make a difference, allow you to be yourself, and respect who you are.We offer a great benefits package including a discretionary bonus scheme, training opportunities, competitive pension, medical insurance, life assurance, social events, opportunities to buy and sell holidays, family‐friendly policies, discounts with hundreds of retailers and much more.Our culture thrives on our core values, designed for impact‐driven individuals: Heart, Brains and Courage.We lead withHeart, fostering empathy and trust where genuine connections and human‐centric work flourish.We empower yourBrainsfor innovation, valuing relentless curiosity and collaborative intelligence to solve complex challenges.And we championCourage, inspiring you to speak up, embrace experimentation, and advocate for bold solutions that push our thinking to be better than yesterday.WPP (VML Enterprise Solutions)is an equal‐opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.