Purchasing Administrator

Location: Vancouver, WA
Reports to: Internal Operations Manager
Job type: Full-time
Wage: $20–$30 per hour DOE

At Mill Plain Electric (MPE), we’re in the people business. For over 55 years, we’ve built a reputation as a premier electrical contractor in the Pacific Northwest by delivering high-quality work and fostering a strong, team-focused culture. Our “work hard, play hard” philosophy ensures employees enjoy their work while having time for personal interests. We serve a wide range of industries, including Commercial, Industrial, Transportation, Healthcare, Data Centers, E-commerce, and Manufacturing.

We're hiring a Purchasing Administrator to make sure what we buy is ordered, billed and charged to the right job. You'll support our Purchasing Agent, keep invoices and POs accurate in Viewpoint Vista, and help close jobs and months cleanly. You'll report to our Internal Operations Manager.

We're also looking for someone who likes finding a better way to do things. Much of this work will focus on finding ways to automate our current processes to simplify how we approach our workload.

• Back up the Purchasing Agent on ordering and enter POs into Vista
• Process returns and track credits until they're received
• Keep a running rental log to track rentals, prevent overcharges and support property tax reporting
• File packing slips to job folders and Vista
• At job closeout, reconcile each PO against its invoices so every dollar is accounted for

• Match every invoice to its PO and packing slip before it's paid
• Check quantities, unit prices, units of measure, job numbers and cost codes, and fix errors such as missing freight or lines
• Hold invoices that don't match and resolve them with the vendor or Purchasing Agent
• Flag invoices that arrive without a PO

• Route invoice approvals to the Purchasing Agent
• Enter procurement credit card purchases in Vista
• Provide a monthly list of received-but-unbilled material for month-end accruals

• Spot repetitive, manual steps in purchasing and suggest ways to automate them
• Help set up and test tools that cut down data entry, invoice matching and reporting
• Document our processes so they can be standardized and automated
• Build simple reports and trackers that replace manual spreadsheets

• 2+ years of experience in purchasing, accounts payable or office administration, ideally in construction or electrical
• Viewpoint Vista experience preferred; comfortable learning new systems
• Strong attention to detail; you notice when a number or code doesn't look right
• Organized and able to manage many invoices and POs at once
• Clear communication with vendors, field staff and the office team
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Excel and Outlook
• Curiosity about automation and technology; experience with tools like Advanced Excel, AP automation software, Claude, Chat GPT, or other specialized AI tools applicable to the role