China's CXMT, now No. 1 by market cap, launches global talent drive to challenge Samsung, SK hynix

CXMT, the Chinese chipmaker at the forefront of China's semiconductor ambitions, is launching a global talent recruitment drive.

According to local media including the Global Times, CXMT recently announced through social media that it plans to hire more than 180 people next year, targeting bachelor's, master's and doctoral graduates from universities both inside and outside China.

In the job posting, the company said "technologies covering the entire process from design to manufacturing await you," listing openings across fields ranging from DRAM to emerging areas including AI computing power and smart vehicles.

The posting shows CXMT is recruiting across circuit design, research and development, mass production technology, production operations, information technology and marketing. R&D positions account for the largest share of the openings.

AI researcher roles require a master's degree at minimum, with doctoral candidates preferred. The job scope includes domestic development of electronic design automation tools for semiconductors.

Work locations include the company's headquarters in Hefei, Anhui Province, as well as Beijing, Shanghai and Xi'an in Shaanxi Province. Japan is also listed as a posting location.

Industry analyst Liu Dingding said the scale of hiring is modest, but high-tech companies such as semiconductor manufacturers rely more heavily on a small number of elite talent for growth. "Talent based at overseas locations will contribute to CXMT's competitiveness in global markets," he said.

CXMT listed on the Star Market of the Shanghai Stock Exchange in July, and its shares surged as much as 535 percent above the offering price of 8.66 yuan to reach 55.03 yuan, instantly displacing Industrial and Commercial Bank of China as the country's top company by market cap. The company has also recently confirmed it will begin mass production of LPDDR6, the next-generation mobile DRAM standard.

CXMT still ranks fourth or fifth in the global DRAM market, competing with Taiwan's Nanya at that level, but it has posted rapid output growth backed by substantial Chinese government subsidies. The global DRAM market remains dominated by a three-way rivalry among Samsung Electronics, SK hynix and US-based Micron.