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New Graduate Software Engineer Jobs in California

You'll own every aspect of Nooks' early talent strategy-from developing our university brand to hiring our annual class of exceptional new graduate software engineers. You'll create the programs ...

NEW GRADUATE ENGINEER, SOFTWARE Our SpaceX team is working on the toughest and most audacious projects on our planet: making humanity multiplanetary. As a software engineer on the SpaceX team, you ...

NEW GRADUATE ENGINEER, SOFTWARE Our SpaceX team is working on the toughest and most audacious projects on our planet: making humanity multiplanetary. As a software engineer on the SpaceX team, you ...

NEW GRADUATE ENGINEER, SOFTWARE Our SpaceX team is working on the toughest and most audacious projects on our planet: making humanity multiplanetary. As a software engineer on the SpaceX team, you ...

As a software engineer on the SpaceX team, you will demonstrate extreme ownership through detailed and thorough design, testing, and deployment, ultimately seeing your software through all aspects of ...

As a Software Engineer, Product at Prelim, you will own critical parts of the platform that powers ... Whether you're a new graduate with impressive projects or an experienced engineer, we want to hear ...

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Showing results 1-20

New Graduate Software Engineer information

See California salary details

$23.7K

$103.5K

$186.5K

How much do new graduate software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 26, 2026, the average yearly pay for new graduate software engineer in California is $103,490.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $64,100.00 and $118,400.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a new graduate software engineer do?

A New Graduate Software Engineer is an entry-level professional who designs, develops, tests, and maintains software applications or systems. They typically work as part of a team, collaborating with other engineers, designers, and product managers to create software solutions. These engineers often learn new programming languages, tools, and technologies on the job while contributing to real-world projects. Their responsibilities may include writing code, debugging issues, participating in code reviews, and documenting technical processes.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a new graduate software engineer?

To thrive as a New Graduate Software Engineer, you need a solid understanding of programming languages (such as Python, Java, or C++), algorithms, and data structures, typically backed by a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with version control systems like Git, development environments, and possibly cloud platforms or CI/CD pipelines is often required. Strong problem-solving skills, eagerness to learn, and effective communication help you collaborate and adapt in dynamic team environments. These skills and qualities are essential for delivering high-quality code, integrating smoothly with team workflows, and growing quickly in the role.

What collaborative opportunities can a new graduate software engineer expect when joining a software development team?

As a New Graduate Software Engineer, you will typically work closely with senior engineers, product managers, and quality assurance testers. Collaboration often takes place during code reviews, sprint planning meetings, and daily stand-ups, providing regular feedback and support. This team-based environment helps you quickly learn best practices, understand project workflows, and develop both technical and communication skills essential for career growth. You'll also have the chance to contribute to group problem-solving sessions and pair programming, which are invaluable for building your expertise and confidence.

What cities in California are hiring for New Graduate Software Engineer jobs?

Cities in California with the most New Graduate Software Engineer job openings:

Infographic showing various New Graduate Software Engineer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 43% Internship, and 57% Full Time. Highlights an 60% In-person, and 40% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $103,490 per year, or $49.8 per hour.

University Recruiter

Nooks

San Francisco, CA • On-site

Full-time

Posted 19 days ago


Job description

About Nooks.ai:
Nooks is an applied AI lab building the Agent Workspace for GTM. We design AI agents that operate across the full sales action set, from account strategy to prospect research and outreach. Building 0→1 has never been easier, but selling at the speed of the market remains the last frontier for AI. Our mission is to 10x every seller by automating the busywork so they can focus on what humans do best: closing deals.
Today, over 1,500 customers run on Nooks, including Notion, HubSpot, Cursor, and Rippling. We've raised $70M+ from top VCs like Kleiner Perkins, which made its first sales-tech investment in over a decade with us. Since then, we've tripled ARR each year for 3 years running and grown a high-caliber team turning the art of sales into a scalable science.
The Role
This is a builder role. You'll own every aspect of Nooks' early talent strategy-from developing our university brand to hiring our annual class of exceptional new graduate software engineers. You'll create the programs, partnerships, and recruiting engine that make Nooks a destination for the best engineering students. During the off-season, you may help out with industry engineering hiring while still maintaining continual growth of our new grad programs.
This isn't simply campus recruiting. You'll design the entire experience: identifying target schools, building faculty and student relationships, creating memorable events, running the recruiting process, and ensuring every new graduate has an outstanding experience from first interaction through onboarding.
Success means establishing Nooks as one of the most sought-after engineering employers on campus while consistently hiring 8-10 exceptional new graduate software engineers annually from a focused set of 4-6 top computer science programs.
What You'll Do
  • Own Nooks' end-to-end university recruiting strategy and execution.
  • Develop a focused campus strategy across 4-6 top engineering universities.
  • Build long-term relationships with career centers, professors, student organizations, and influential campus communities.
  • Create Nooks' employer brand for early talent through events, technical talks, hackathons, sponsorships, social content, and student engagement.
  • Design and manage our annual new graduate recruiting program, including sourcing, interview scheduling, offer management, and candidate experience.
  • Partner closely with Engineering leadership to define hiring goals, interview processes, and evaluation standards.
  • Build internship and new graduate recruiting programs that scale with the company.
  • Create exceptional candidate experiences that reflect Nooks' culture and values.
  • Plan and execute campus visits, information sessions, technical events, and networking opportunities.
  • Track recruiting metrics and continuously improve conversion rates throughout the hiring funnel.
  • Own recruiting operations, timelines, budgets, and vendor relationships related to university hiring.
  • Partner with People Operations to help create an outstanding onboarding and early career experience.
What We're Looking For
  • 5+ years of recruiting experience with significant ownership of university or early career hiring.
  • Experience building or scaling campus recruiting programs at a high-growth technology company.
  • Proven success hiring top engineering talent from leading universities.
  • Strong understanding of engineering recruiting and technical hiring.
  • Experience building employer branding initiatives that resonate with technical students.
  • Exceptional relationship-building skills with both internal stakeholders and external partners.
  • Strong project management skills and the ability to run multiple recruiting initiatives simultaneously.
  • Analytical mindset with experience using recruiting metrics to improve outcomes.
  • Comfortable working in ambiguity and building programs from scratch.
  • Passion for helping exceptional early-career talent launch their careers.
You'll Thrive If You...
  • Love building programs where none exist today.
  • Enjoy creating memorable candidate experiences.
  • Think strategically while executing every detail.
  • Build trusted relationships quickly.
  • Are energized by representing an exciting company externally.
  • Care deeply about hiring quality over hiring volume.
  • Want to have a lasting impact on how a company attracts its future engineering leaders.
Success in Your First Year
  • Establish Nooks as a recognized engineering employer across 4-6 target universities.
  • Hire an exceptional class of 8-10 new graduate software engineers.
  • Build repeatable recruiting programs and campus partnerships that scale.
  • Launch signature employer branding initiatives that increase awareness and applicant quality.
  • Create a recruiting experience candidates consistently rave about.
  • Develop the foundation for a world-class early talent program that grows with the company.
Why This Role Matters
The engineers we hire today will become the technical leaders of Nooks tomorrow. You'll have the opportunity to build a program that shapes the future of our engineering organization and creates one of the strongest early talent brands in technology.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
Nooks is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce. We believe in providing equal employment opportunities to all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Nooks does not discriminate in hiring, promotion, compensation, or any other employment practices, and we are committed to ensuring a workplace that is free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. We encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply and join our team.