SM Entertainment Hires Across Ten Major Roles in April 2026

• SM Entertainment is hiring till the end of April across creative, digital, tech, and various other sectors.
• Both experienced and non-experienced candidates are welcome, subject to the requirements of the role.
• Applications to the roles are only accepted online via the company’s official career portal.

SM Entertainment, the Seoul-based agency that invented the contemporary K-pop idol system and launched global superstars like H.O.T., BoA, TVXQ, Girls’ Generation, EXO, and aespa, has opened applications for ten positions across four departments. The vacancies, posted through the company’s career portal with deadlines running till late April 2026, reveal that the organization is moving towards multiple strategic fronts, all at once.

The scope of this recruitment drive is telling. In a single hiring cycle, SM is looking for backend engineers to develop AI infrastructure, video business managers to back global IP rights strategies, music video directors, album visual artists, social media operators, and artist managers for both its key roster and newer SMArt and KRUCIALIZE sublabels. In other words, the company is tending to its creative soul as well as retrofitting itself for the digital, algorithmic era.

The Technology Bet: SM to Hire Backend Engineer

One of the most interesting posts in this batch of recruitment is the one that sits furthest from the spotlight, which is a backend engineer. Although the role is not about streaming platforms or fan apps, it will build the internal data pipelines and crawler infrastructure that will feed SM’s own proprietary AI engine. The system these recruits will be backing will also train and run models, loading data into databases, while optimizing cloud infrastructure throughout Google Cloud Platform and AWS.

SM wants three or more years of hands-on experience in Python, Node.js, or Java, as well as fluency in web scraping libraries such as BeautifulSoup and Selenium. The candidates must also have deep familiarity with both relational databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL) and NoSQL systems. Experience with high-traffic server optimisation and internal B2B integrations, the framework that ties together a company’s fragmented operational systems, will make applicants more desirable.

At a Glance: SM Entertainment Hiring Spree — April 2026

• Total open roles: 10 positions
• Departments: Digital & Social, Creative & Production, Management & Marketing, Technology
• Employment types: 9 permanent (regular) + 1 fixed-term contract
• Experience range: Entry-level to 5+ years, depending on role
• Earliest deadline: April 17, 2026 (Social Content role)
• Latest deadline: April 27, 2026 (M/V Staff)
• Location: 83-21 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul
• Applications: Online only via the SM Career portal

Video as a Business and IP Rights Expansion will Need a Manager, and SM is Looking for It

SM is also looking for a Video Business Manager to generate IP revenue opportunities that the company is clearly intent on capturing more aggressively. The role will require an individual to look after the video IP platform programming and rights distribution, both domestic and global, all while developing business through partnerships with broadcasting networks and digital platforms.

The candidate must have at least five years of experience in video-related business management or strategy, with direct experience as a project manager on video productions. They must also have a track record of building media business relationships. 

The scope is broad, since the candidate will go beyond rights management. The role will additionally entail planning and producing video-based physical products. Notably, this is such a category in the K-pop world that encompasses collector’s edition concert films, premium video publications, and handling the marketing of video business initiatives. It is, definitely, a commercial director role for a whole media vertical within the ecosystem of SM Entertainment.

SM to Strengthen Creative Spine: Albums, Visuals, and Music Videos

At the heart of any K-pop operation is the album cycle, and SM is using every link in that chain. Three of the ten roles sit in creative production, including a Creative Visual Staff member for album concept and jacket design, followed by a Creative Visual Manager for the SMArt and KRUCIALIZE labels, and a Music Video Staff member for directing, planning, and editing promotional video content.

The Creative Visual Staff role demands proficiency in the full Adobe suite, with a portfolio that must document each prospective candidate’s contribution percentage to every project listed. That last requirement is a common feature across SM’s creative postings, marking a clear signal that the company wants someone authentic to safeguard the visual identity of any major artist release.

The Music Video Staff role takes a slightly more open approach. It welcomes candidates with as few as zero years of industry experience, moving up to five. The portfolio rules are different here. Notably, applicants must exclude any work to which they contributed less than 70%

The Social Media Front: Branding, Content, and the Fan Ecosystem

Two roles showcase SM’s initiative to expand digital presence. The company is looking for an Artist Social Channel Branding and Operations Manager, which is a permanent position responsible for the day-to-day stewardship of artist social channels. The role will require the person to take care of the Instagram grids, the Twitter personalities, and the fan platform presences that, in the K-pop world, are as carefully handled as any television broadcast.

On the other hand, the Artist Social Content Planning and Production Manager goes a step further. It demands hands-on experience in creating short-form video content for TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, the formats that currently highlight most of the organic K-pop discovery globally. Both roles require multilingual ability in English, Chinese, or Japanese as preferred, reflecting the multinational nature of SM’s popularity across East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the English-speaking world.

There is also the role of Social Content, which carries the earliest application deadline in the entire batch, April 17, 2026. Candidates interested in that position have very little time left.

The Sub-Label Play: SMArt and KRUCIALIZE Step Into Focus

Two roles out of the ten posted are explicitly tied to SM’s sub-labels, SMArt and KRUCIALIZE, rather than to the main SM Entertainment roster. The SMArt/KRUCIALIZE Creative Visual Manager and the SMArt/KRUCIALIZE Management Staff roles suggest that these sublabels are growing fast enough to require dedicated hires instead of drawing on the shared pool of SM’s main label framework.

For this role, candidates must hold a Class 2 or higher South Korean driver’s licence and should be capable of driving. This is the norm for anyone who is applying for artist management roles in the K-pop industry. This is because this role will also require the individual to move an artist safely and quickly between schedules, including studios, broadcast stations, events, airports, and is as operationally critical as any other administrative skill. This role will also need the candidates to have no legal restrictions on overseas travel, showcasing that international concert and event schedules are emerging for SM’s sub-label as well.

Keeping the Machine Running: Finance and Marketing

Two more positions round out the corporate framework for the hiring drive. A Management Planning Manager, a one-year contractual role covering parental leave, will look out for departmental budget performance, monthly profit and loss study, and administrative support for SM’s management planning function. The position will need someone with a business, economics, or accounting background, with fluency in Excel and PowerPoint preferred.

On the other hand, the Overseas Marketing Manager covers English-speaking markets and Japan. This role is a permanent hire for an experienced candidate, and for full details on the specific requirement could visit the SM Career portal.

How to Apply

All candidates must submit their candidature online via SM Entertainment’s SM Career portal. The company reportedly does not accept in-person applications. Prospective individuals may apply to only one position within a given application time period. Notably, all new hires will have to serve a three-month probationary period regardless of role.

Three deadlines are very much visible. For instance, the Artist Social Content Planning and Production Manager role closes on April 17, 2026, at 20:29 KST, with the Management Planning contract role closing on April 24 at the same time. The Music Video Staff role closes April 27 at 20:29 KST, while the remaining deadlines are listed as open but could end early.

For further queries, candidates may email the SM Entertainment recruitment team at sment_recruit@smtown.com. They may also consult the FAQ board on the SM Career platform.