[News] SanDisk Reportedly Hunts for HBM, LPDDR Talent in Korea as AI Memory Race Heats Up

A new contender is entering South Korea’s already fierce chip talent war. According to Newsis and EDAILY, U.S.- headquartered NAND and SSD maker SanDisk is hiring across multiple roles in the country, with expertise in key memory technologies such as HBM, LPDDR and GDDR high on its wish list.

As highlighted by Newsis, the recruitment push marks an unusual shift for SanDisk in Korea, where its operations have traditionally centered on sales and marketing. According to the report, the openings span NAND system architecture, NAND core design, lead category, VLSI design and mask design.

Notably, EDAILY adds that many roles require at least five years of experience, with expertise in key memory technologies such as HBM, LPDDR and GDDR listed among the preferred qualifications, implying SanDisk is particularly eyeing seasoned engineers from Korean memory heavyweights Samsung Electronics and SK hynix.

The Dong-A Ilbo notes that SanDisk’s Korea hiring push comes as AI-driven NAND demand surges. While the early AI boom centered on DRAM for training, the shift toward inference is increasing the need for NAND storage—raising the stakes for SanDisk to strengthen its talent base, the report suggests.

The talent also push comes as SanDisk rides a wave of AI-driven growth. At its Investor Day, CFO Luis Visoso said the company expects revenue to grow at a mid-to-high-teens rate from fiscal 2028 through 2030, fueled by rapid AI infrastructure buildouts, while keeping adjusted gross margins at around 80%, according to Reuters.

Micron Joins the Hunt for Korea’s AI Chip Talent

Meanwhile, Micron is also stepping up its talent hunt in South Korea. According to Newsis, the U.S. memory giant has been reaching out via LinkedIn with job offers to engineers from local chipmakers including Samsung Electronics and SK hynix.

Micron is estimated to be offering annual salaries worth several hundred million won, Newsis adds. EDAILY, on the other hand, suggests that key targets include talent in critical AI chip technologies such as HBM and advanced packaging.

Read more

• [News] Sandisk Reportedly Tapes Out First HBF Product, Targets 2027 Samples and 2028 Production
• [News] SK hynix, SanDisk Debut HBF Standard to Challenge AI Memory Bottlenecks with Google, Tenstorrent Support

(Photo credit: SanDisk)