LG Chem is set to fill hundreds of positions in its advanced materials division as it prepares for an aggressive expansion into new business areas and markets, the company said Sunday.

The company’s upcoming hiring period will be its most active since the division was established in 2019, it added.

According to LG Chem, the company is seeking talent in all the business segments where it operates, from battery materials to postconsumer recycled plastics, organic light-emitting diodes and reverse osmosis filters. But its primary focus is the white-hot battery materials business, LG Chem said, as it seeks to take the lead in the rapidly growing electric vehicle battery market.

LG Chem has increased its investment in its battery materials business in recent years.

In 2020, the company started construction of new cathode material production lines at its Cheongju plant to increase its capacity by 30,000 tons.

When construction of the company’s cathode plant in Gumi is completed in 2026, LG Chem’s production capacity for cathodes is expected to increase to 260,000 tons, from 40,000 tons as of last year.

According to the company’s earnings call on April 28, LG Chem’s advanced materials division aims to post 4 trillion won in annual sales this year and to double those sales in the next five years.

LG Chem plans to accept job applications until Tuesday of next week. Those who passed the screening process would join the company in July this year, it said.

By Shim Woo-hyun (ws@heraldcorp.com)