Trainee Contracting Officer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Salary : $72,883.20 - $87,963.20 Annually
Location : City of San Diego, CA
Job Type: Varies by Position
Job Number: GU-T12056-202609
Business Area: N/A - Multiple Departments
Opening Date: 09/04/2026
Closing Date: 9/14/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
JOB INFORMATION
See NOTE(S) below for future wage increases and/or additional compensation opportunities.
APPLICANTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY TO THE FOLLOWING RELATED RECRUITMENT(S):

• Assistant Compliance Officer
• Associate Compliance Officer
• Senior Compliance Officer

Compliance Officer Trainee positions assigned to the Purchasing and Contracting Department perform increasingly responsible contract compliance and equal opportunity contracting duties; assist with preparing and analyzing Mayoral and Council actions; bid and contract review; workforce and EEO reporting; assist with conducting outreach and training for internal and external stakeholders regarding equal opportunity contracting requirements, and the Small Local Business Enterprise (SLBE) Program; assist with conducting outreach to employees and employers about the City's Small Local Business Enterprise (SLBE) Program; assist with reporting to the Citizens Equal Opportunity Commission (CEOC); and perform other duties as assigned.
Compliance Officer Trainee positions assigned to the Office of the City Attorney perform increasingly responsible wage and labor compliance duties; analyze certified payroll and other document submissions to identify underpayments and ensure the accuracy of statements about covered work; conduct research; conduct outreach to employees and employers regarding the City's wage compliance programs; assist with project labor agreement compliance; assist with preparing presentations and trainings for community groups, organizations, and stakeholder groups; assist with reporting to the Citizens Equal Opportunity Commission (CEOC); assist with data gathering for reports; and participate in presentations at pre-bid and pre-construction meetings; and perform other duties as assigned.
NOTES:

• Employees in job classifications represented by Municipal Employees Association (MEA) are scheduled to receive the following general wage increases:

• 3.5% effective 7/1/27
• 2% effective 7/1/28
• 2% effective 1/1/29

• Eligible benefited employees originally hired on or after July 10, 2021, will be automatically enrolled in the San Diego City Employees Retirement System (SDCERS).

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
You must meet the following requirements on the date you apply, unless otherwise indicated.
EDUCATION: Bachelor's Degree or equivalent education (i.e., minimum completed units = 120 semester/180 quarter).
NOTES:

• Additional qualifying professional-level experience in wage or contract compliance work may be substituted for education lacked on a year-for-year basis. One year of full-time experience = 30 semester/45 quarter college-level units. Experience must include performing the full range of professional-level duties in at least ONE of the following areas to be considered qualifying:

1. WAGE COMPLIANCE WORK - Conducting labor or wage compliance analysis, investigations, or audits; performing project labor agreement compliance; conducting document reviews for compliance with any local, state, or federal labor or wage laws; developing wage compliance rules, policies, and regulations; and/or conducting outreach or training to internal and external stakeholders regarding labor or wage programs (e.g., Living, Minimum, Prevailing Wage).
2. CONTRACT COMPLIANCE WORK - Performing bid evaluations and reviewing and evaluating workforce reports; reviewing equal employment opportunity plans; ensuring contract specifications are current with all applicable standards and laws; developing equal employment rules, policies, and regulations related to contract compliance; and/or conducting outreach or training to internal and external stakeholders regarding contract compliance, equal opportunity contracting requirements, and/or compliance programs (e.g., Small Local Business Enterprise program).

• City of San Diego employees using Out-of-Class Assignment (OCA) experience to qualify must submit written documentation signed by their appointing authority or payroll specialist, detailing the work performed, dates, and total number of qualifying OCA hours. OCA experience without the required documentation will NOT be considered.

LICENSE: A valid California Class C Driver License is required at the time of hire.
HIGHLY DESIRABLE:

• Professional wage or contract compliance work with a government agency (e.g., federal, state, county, and/or city).
• Experience with monitoring, enforcement, or creation of a Living, Minimum, or Prevailing Wage program, Equal Opportunity Contracting program, Small Local Business Enterprise program, or equivalent program.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS (MUST SUBMIT WITH APPLICATION):

• Proof of degree/transcripts, if utilized to meet the minimum requirements.
• For City of San Diego employees, proof of Out-of-Class Assignment (OCA), if utilized to meet the minimum requirements.

Required documents should be attached electronically to your application. If you are unable to attach at the time of application submittal, you must submit them as soon as possible via fax: (619) 533-3337; or to the Employee Information Center: City of San Diego Personnel Department, 1200 Third Avenue - Suite 300, San Diego, CA 92101. Include your name and the title of the position for which you are applying.
SCREENING PROCESS
Please ensure all information is complete and accurate as the responses you provide on the supplemental questions will be reviewed using an automated evaluation system. If you are successful in this initial screening process, your application will be reviewed for applicable education, experience, and/or training to ensure all minimum requirements have been met. Successful candidates will be placed on a list which will be used to fill position vacancies during the next six months (180 days). For each vacancy, only those candidates with the most appropriate qualifications will be contacted by the hiring department for an interview.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
PRE-EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS: Employment offers are conditional pending the results of all screening processes applicable to this position, which may include the following: confirmation of citizenship or legal right to work in the United States; completion of a pre-employment medical review and exam (which may include drug and alcohol testing); reference checks; and fingerprinting. Fingerprints will be submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice for a conviction record report. Certain positions may require additional screening processes, including a polygraph examination and/or background investigation. All screening processes must be successfully completed before employment begins. A positive test result for alcohol, cannabis/marijuana, illegal drugs, or inadequately explained prescription drugs, or misrepresentation, falsification, or omission of pertinent facts in any step of the screening or selection process, may be cause for disqualification or termination of employment. Nothing in this job posting constitutes an express or implied contract for employment with the City of San Diego. Candidates must notify the Personnel Department of any change to their name, mailing address, email address, or phone number, otherwise they may miss employment opportunities.
City employees may be eligible to participate in a benefit program including holidays, vacations, savings and retirement plans, health programs, and other benefits.
Eligible City employees initially hired or assuming office on or after July 10, 2021, with the exception of Police Recruits participating in the City's Police Academy, will participate in the City's Defined Benefit Plan administered by the San Diego City Employees' Retirement System (SDCERS).
Benefits may change due to employer-employee contract negotiations.
or review the
01
I understand that failure to respond to the following questions in the spaces provided may result in the rejection of my application. In addition, I may miss out on employment opportunities. Résumés are NOT reviewed for assessing the minimum requirements, qualifications will be determined from the answers provided to the supplemental questions.

• Yes
• No

02
Are you a current or former City of San Diego government/municipal employee?

• Current city employee
• Former city employee
• Current & former city employee
• None of the above

03
If you have previously worked or are currently working for the City of San Diego, please enter your PERNR.
04
The minimum age for this job is 18, unless you are 17 and a high school graduate. Do you meet the minimum age requirements for this job?

• Yes
• No

05
Are you meeting the education requirement with a Bachelor's Degree or equivalent education (i.e., minimum completed units = 120 semester/180 quarter)? NOTE: Attach proof of degree/transcripts to your application.

• Yes
• No

06
If you are using a combination of experience and education to qualify, which of the following best describes your level of education?

• 0 to 29 semester/44 quarter units
• 30 semester/45 quarter units to 59 semester/89 quarter units
• 60 semester/90 quarter units to 89 semester/134 quarter units
• 90 semester/135 quarter units to 119 semester/179 quarter units
• 120 semester/180 quarter units or more

07
Specify the total number of years of full-time professional-level experience you have performing wage or contract compliance work.

• None
• Less than 1 year
• 1 year to less than 2 years
• 2 years to less than 3 years
• 3 years to less than 4 years
• 4 years to less than 5 years
• 5 years or more

08
In which of the following areas do you have experience performing the full range of professional-level duties?

• WAGE COMPLIANCE WORK - Conducting labor or wage compliance analysis, investigations, or audits; performing project labor agreement compliance; conducting document reviews for compliance with any local, state, or federal labor or wage laws; developing wage compliance rules, policies, and regulations; and/or conducting outreach or training to internal and external stakeholders regarding labor or wage programs (e.g., Living, Minimum, Prevailing Wage).
• CONTRACT COMPLIANCE WORK - Performing bid evaluations and reviewing and evaluating workforce reports; reviewing equal employment opportunity plans; ensuring contract specifications are current with all applicable standards and laws; developing equal employment rules, policies, and regulations related to contract compliance; and/or conducting outreach or training to internal and external stakeholders regarding contract compliance, equal opportunity contracting requirements, and/or compliance programs (e.g., Small Local Business Enterprise program).
• None of the above.

09
Describe your full-time professional-level WAGE COMPLIANCE experience in the following areas: a. Conducting labor or wage compliance analysis, investigations, or audits; b. performing project labor agreement compliance; c. conducting document reviews for compliance with any local, state, or federal labor or wage laws; d. developing wage compliance rules, policies, and regulations; e. conducting outreach or training to internal and external stakeholders regarding labor or wage programs (e.g., Living, Minimum, Prevailing Wage); f. other wage compliance experience. For each area, specify from which employer the experience was gained, your title, level of responsibility, percent of time spent on each area and the total length of your experience. If you do not have any experience in a specific area, write "None."
10
Describe your full-time professional-level CONTRACT COMPLIANCE experience in the following areas: a. Performing bid evaluations and reviewing and evaluating workforce reports; b. reviewing equal employment opportunity plans; c. ensuring contract specifications are current with all applicable standards and laws; d. developing equal employment rules, policies, and regulations related to contract compliance; e. conducting outreach or training to internal and external stakeholders regarding contract compliance, equal opportunity contracting requirements, and/or compliance programs (e.g., Small Local Business Enterprise program); f. other contract compliance experience. For each area, specify from which employer the experience was gained, your title, level of responsibility, percent of time spent on each area and the total length of your experience. If you do not have any experience in a specific area, write "None."
11
How many years of your full-time professional-level experience performing wage or contract compliance work was performed at a GOVERNMENT agency (e.g., federal, state, county, and/or city)?

• None
• Less than 1 year
• 1 year to less than 2 years
• 2 years to less than 3 years
• 3 years to less than 4 years
• 4 years to less than 5 years
• 5 years or more

Required Question