1

Graduate Contract Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Contracts Manager

Costa Mesa, CA ยท On-site

$95K - $127K/yr

In this role, you will oversee the full contract lifecycle for Anduril's government and commercial ... Graduate degree in business, law, government, or a related field. * Experience with Cost Accounting ...

... or Graduate Degree and a minimum of 2 years prior related experience in the field of Accounting, Business Administration, Business Management, Contract Administration, Supply Chain Management ...

... or Graduate Degree and a minimum of 2 years prior related experience in the field of Accounting, Business Administration, Business Management, Contract Administration, Supply Chain Management ...

Principal, Contracts

Carlsbad, CA ยท On-site +1

$92K - $123K/yr

Support proposal development activities, including estimating, pricing, and required contract ... Graduate Degree and a minimum of 10 years of prior related experience. In lieu of a degree, minimum ...

Support proposal development activities, including estimating, pricing, and required contract ... Graduate Degree and a minimum of 10 years of prior related experience. In lieu of a degree, minimum ...

Principal, Contracts

San Diego, CA

$94K - $126K/yr

Support proposal development activities, including estimating, pricing, and required contract ... Graduate Degree and a minimum of 10 years of prior related experience. In lieu of a degree, minimum ...

Principal, Contracts

San Diego, CA ยท On-site +1

$94K - $126K/yr

Support proposal development activities, including estimating, pricing, and required contract ... Graduate Degree and a minimum of 10 years of prior related experience. In lieu of a degree, minimum ...

Principal, Contracts

Carlsbad, CA ยท On-site

$92K - $123K/yr

Support proposal development activities, including estimating, pricing, and required contract ... Graduate Degree and a minimum of 10 years of prior related experience. In lieu of a degree, minimum ...

Contracts Coordinator II

Ontario, CA ยท On-site

$24.90 - $29.10/hr

The Contract Coordinator II, Health Plan Operations is responsible to assist in the management ... Associate's degree from an accredited institution preferred or High School Graduate with at least 3 ...

New

Showing results 21-40

Graduate Contract information

See California salary details

$16

$25

$48

How much do graduate contract jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 8, 2026, the average hourly pay for graduate contract in California is $25.83, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $19.90 and $28.22 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Graduate Contract vs Junior Engineer?

AspectGraduate ContractJunior Engineer
Required CredentialsTypically a recent graduate or in final year of degreeBachelor's degree in engineering or related field
Work EnvironmentInternship or temporary position, often training-focusedEntry-level professional role, involved in project work
Employer & Industry UsageCommon in construction, engineering firms, and consultingStandard entry point in engineering companies and industries
Search & Comparison IntentUnderstanding entry-level opportunities and training rolesClarifying early career engineering roles and responsibilities

The main difference is that a Graduate Contract is typically a temporary, training-focused position for recent graduates, while a Junior Engineer is a standard entry-level professional role with more defined responsibilities. Both roles serve as stepping stones into the engineering industry, but the Graduate Contract often emphasizes training and development, whereas the Junior Engineer involves more hands-on project work.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a graduate contract?

To thrive in a Graduate Contract role, you generally need a relevant bachelor's degree, strong analytical abilities, and an eagerness to learn within your chosen field. Familiarity with industry-standard software, project management tools, or sector-specific certifications can be advantageous depending on the employer. Strong communication, adaptability, and teamwork skills help graduates integrate quickly and contribute effectively. These competencies enable new graduates to transition smoothly into professional environments, quickly add value, and build a foundation for future career growth.

What is a graduate contract?

A Graduate Contract is a formal agreement offered by an employer to recent graduates, typically outlining the terms of their employment, such as duration, salary, responsibilities, and opportunities for training or progression. These contracts are common in graduate schemes or programs, helping new graduates transition from university to the workplace. They often provide structured support, mentoring, and a clear career path for the duration of the contract, which can range from one to three years. Upon successful completion, graduates may be offered permanent positions within the organization.

What opportunities for mentorship and professional development are typically available to those in a graduate contract role?

Graduate Contract roles often provide structured mentorship and training programs designed to help new graduates transition into the professional workforce. You can expect to work closely with experienced team members, participate in workshops, and receive regular feedback to support your growth. Many organizations also offer access to internal resources, networking events, and opportunities to rotate through different departments, allowing you to explore various career paths and develop a well-rounded skill set.
What are the most commonly searched types of Graduate jobs in California? The most popular types of Graduate jobs in California are:
What are popular job titles related to Graduate Contract jobs in California? For Graduate Contract jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Graduate Contract jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Graduate Contract jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Graduate Contract jobs? Cities in California with the most Graduate Contract job openings:
Infographic showing various Graduate Contract job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 2% As Needed, 68% Full Time, 26% Part Time, 2% Temporary, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 97% Physical, and 3% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $53,732 per year, or $25.8 per hour.

CONTRACT: Contract Steering Program Manager - Autonomous Driving

Volkswagen AG

Belmont, CA โ€ข On-site

$107K - $143K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 16 days ago


Job description

As MOIA America, we develop and realize fully autonomous mobility and transportation services. Our mission is to make mobility-and transportation-as-a-service safe, accessible and most attractive for society. For that, we cover the entire ground from strategy and business development, software development and end-2-end integration, fleet operations to next-generation self-driving systems. Being the driver in Volkswagen Group initiative for mobility solutions, we're an integral part of Volkswagen Group's future success.

Brief Role Description

The Contract Steering Program Manager - Autonomous Driving role sits within the MOIA America Commercialization department and serves as the business-side lead for steering and managing complex commercial and intercompany contracts that make U.S. operations possible.

This role is all about turning business intent into executed agreements. Acting as the primary project manager for contracts, the role ensures vehicle supply, importer, dealer, and intercompany agreements are clearly defined, well-coordinated, and delivered on time. Working closely with Legal, Finance, Operations, Business Development, and external partners, the role keeps contract workstreams moving, aligns inputs, untangles open topics, and helps teams get to "signature-ready" efficiently.

The position also serves as the primary business account interface for Volkswagen Group of America (VWGoA) on contract-related and importer coordination topics, helping bring clarity and alignment across MOIA America, MOIA SE, VWGoA, dealer partners, and fleet customers.

Success in this role means clear, well-structured contracts, strong delivery discipline, and agreements built to scale-supporting SOP today and enabling smooth expansion to multi-city commercial rollout tomorrow, without late-stage surprises.

Role Responsiblities

Role Responsibilities:

Contract Steering & Program Management - 40%

  • Serve as the business-side lead and project manager for vehicle supply, sales, aftersales, importer, and dealer-related contracts
  • Translate commercial and operational objectives into clear contract requirements, scopes, and success criteria
  • Own contract timelines, milestones, dependencies, and decision paths to ensure agreements progress efficiently from kickoff through execution
  • Coordinate inputs across legal, finance, operations, business development, and external partners to drive contracts to completion
  • Identify risks, open items, and misalignment early; escalate and resolve in partnership with Legal and business leadership

Intercompany & Importer Agreement Coordination - 25%

  • Lead the business coordination and steering of intercompany agreements covering warranty responsibility, accrual logic, services, and financial flows
  • Act as the primary business interface for importer partner agreements, including coordination with VWGoA and other relevant entities
  • Ensure cross-border and intercompany agreement structures reflect operational reality and agreed business intent
  • Align intercompany and importer contracts with downstream dealer, fleet, and customer agreements to avoid gaps or overlap

Dealer & Commercial Framework Enablement - 20%

  • Coordinate and maintain Dealer Framework Agreements (MFA) from a business and operational perspective, including

o Sales administration

o PDI responsibilities

o Leasing and financing support

o Service and warranty execution

  • Ensure dealer frameworks are aligned with fleet and autonomous mobility operating models
  • Support consistency and clarity across dealer, importer, and fleet customer contractual arrangements

Account Management & Importer Service Enablement - 15%

  • Act as primary business account manager for MOIA America on contract-related and importer coordination topics
  • Coordinate importer service scope and execution readiness for functions such as

o Port operations

o Vehicle logistics

o Warranty auditing

o Parts fulfillment

o Recall and campaign execution

o IT and systems interfaces

Proactively surface operational or contractual gaps related to importer services and drive resolution with appropriate stakeholders

Qualification requirements

Years of Relevant Experience:

  • 8+ years of experience in a business, commercial, or operational role within an OEM, importer, distributor, fleet, or complex B2B environment

Education

  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience
  • Masters in Business Administration or equivalent graduate certification strongly preferred

Skills:

  • Business-Led Contract Steering - Strong business acumen with the ability to translate commercial and operational objectives into structured contract requirements, partnering closely with legal to ensure timely and effective execution
  • Program and Project Management - Demonstrated ability to lead contract workstreams end-to-end from the business side, managing timelines, stakeholders, dependencies, and decision paths to ensure contracts are completed on schedule
  • Stakeholder Coordination - Proven capability to coordinate across legal, finance, operations, business development, and external partners to align inputs, resolve open items, and drive agreements to execution
  • Structured Problem Solving - Ability to break down complex, ambiguous contracting topics into clear issues, options, and recommendations to enable effective decision-making
  • Risk Awareness & Escalation - Strong judgment in identifying contractual, commercial, and operational risks early, and escalating appropriately while working with legal to mitigate issues pragmatically
  • Communication - Clear, concise written and verbal communication skills, capable of aligning diverse stakeholders and driving closure on open commercial and legal topics
  • Adaptability - Comfortable operating in fast-paced, evolving environments with a high degree of ownership and autonomy, particularly in pre-launch and scale-up phases

Specialized Skills:

Required:

  • Experience acting as a business-side lead for complex contracting initiatives, serving as the primary project manager responsible for driving contracts from concept through execution in close coordination with Legal
  • Strong working knowledge of commercial contract structures related to vehicle supply, importer operations, dealer frameworks, warranty, and aftersales, with the ability to translate business and operational needs into clear contractual requirements
  • Proven experience coordinating cross-functional contract inputs across legal, finance, operations, business development, and external partners to ensure timely contract completion
  • Ability to manage contract development timelines, dependencies, and approvals, including tracking open legal and commercial topics to closure
  • Experience working within importer, distributor, or OEM-dealer ecosystems, including fleet-oriented agreements
  • Comfort operating in cross-border and intercompany environments, coordinating business requirements with legal entities across regions

Desired:

  • Experience supporting early-stage commercialization through initial launch and scale-up, where contract clarity and speed are critical
  • Familiarity with autonomous, mobility, or fleet-based business models
  • Experience partnering effectively with in-house and external legal counsel in a non-legal ownership role, ensuring contracts are business-led, well-scoped, and execution-oriented

Work Flexibility:

  • 20% business travel

#LI-CK1

Competencies
Act as an owner
Be a pioneer
Grow personally
Live integrity & compliance
Think ahead
Perform together
Compensation Data

The expected salary range in Belmont, CA for this position isย $165,000 - $190,000 annually. This range represents the Company's good-faith estimate of the compensation reasonably expected to be offered for this position at the time of posting.

Actual compensation will be determined based on a variety of factors, including job-related knowledge, skills, experience, education, certifications, geographic location, internal equity, and business needs.

In addition to base pay, this position may be eligible for additional compensation, including bonus, commission, equity, or incentive programs, where applicable.

Eligible employees may also receive a comprehensive benefits package, which may include medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability coverage, retirement savings plans, paid time off, parental leave, employee assistance programs, and other benefits, subject to plan terms and eligibility requirements.


ย 

MOIA America is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We welcome and encourage applicants from all backgrounds, and do not discriminate based on race, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, color, gender identity/expression, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected by applicable laws.