Posco Group to hire hundreds of new graduates, adds AI engineer role

Posco Group is launching a second-half recruitment drive for hundreds of new graduates, including candidates specializing in AI and robotics. Posco has created a new "AI engineer" position for the first time, aimed at driving steelmill automation and office workflow transformation using AI.

The group announced Thursday that six affiliates — Posco Holdings' Future Technology Research Institute, Posco, POSCO International, Posco E&C, Posco DX and the Research Institute of Industrial Science & Technology (RIST) — will hire new employees in the second half of 2026.

The total number of hires will run into the hundreds. Candidates will be recruited across roughly 60 job categories, including production and facilities technology, sales and marketing, safety and health, and AI.

AI and robotics stand out as highlights of this recruitment cycle. Posco Holdings' Future Technology Research Institute is seeking research staff in robot perception and control, as well as in sodium-ion batteries, cathode materials for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, brine lithium processing, hydrometallurgical refining, and resource and secondary battery material smelting and refining.

Posco is adding an AI engineer role alongside its existing production technology, facilities technology and process technology positions. The new role is intended to recruit staff dedicated to AI transformation — known as AX — across both manufacturing operations and office functions. Posco DX is also hiring new graduates in AI and IT/OT engineering.

POSCO International is recruiting for business planning and management support, steel, mobility, materials and grain sales, LNG projects, production evaluation, and mechanical and electrical engineering. Posco E&C will hire in plant engineering, architecture, safety, business planning and management innovation, while RIST will recruit in research, technology and administration.

Posco has also revamped its application process. It has scrapped the conventional personal statement format — in which applicants answered a fixed set of questions — and replaced it with an "extracurricular and campus activities" section where candidates describe the experiences and activities they pursued to build job-relevant skills. The aim is to evaluate applicants based on what they have actually done, rather than through standardized essay prompts.

Applicants must have already graduated or be on track to graduate by February 2027. Posco candidates must also meet job-specific requirements, including recognized language proficiency scores. Applications will be accepted through the Posco recruitment website until 3 p.m. on Sept. 16.

Posco's hiring process begins with the application, followed by an aptitude and personality test, a first-round interview assessing job competency, a second-round interview evaluating cultural fit, and a final results announcement. Successful candidates are expected to join the company in December.

During the application period, Posco will also run online and in-person recruitment programs connecting current employees with job seekers. The company plans to share information on roles and the selection process through virtual recruiting sessions and information sessions led by employees in each job category.

The recruitment drive aligns with a business restructuring strategy Posco Group unveiled in July. The group outlined plans to build a "triple core" framework centered on industrial resources, strategic resources and energy resources, aiming to strengthen its competitiveness not only in steel but also in critical minerals such as lithium and in the energy sector.

The push to secure AI talent is also directly tied to the digital transformation of Posco's production operations. The company is applying AI across steelmill production and facilities processes while pursuing broader AX expansion in manufacturing and office settings, with Posco DX leading that effort.