Application Helpdesk Analysts IIILocation: Washington DC (onsite)Role OverviewThe Application Helpdesk L3 provides advanced technical and functional support for business-critical applications. This role acts as the final escalation point beyond L1 and L2 teams and is responsible for deep root cause analysis, permanent fixes, and close collaboration with application vendors, development teams, infrastructure teams, and business stakeholders.Key ResponsibilitiesAct as L3 escalation point for complex, recurring, or business-critical application.Manage day-to-day operation of help desk.Manage internal client communication channels (help desk site, email, phone, chat etc.)Assist internal clients with issues related to the use of the relevant application and provide resolutions.Track requests and tasks from initiation until closing.Maintain records of clients, FAQs, issues, and all other types of requests.Collect, compile and analyze data, and prepare reports on an ongoing basis.Identify potential articles to be added to the knowledge base.Handle communications and manage expectations around essential CMS information, guidelines and processesFacilitate communications among IT teams.Conduct surveys to improve the quality of service for helpdesk.Analyze application design and performance metrics and propose improvements.Incident & Problem ManagementAct as L3 escalation point for complex, recurring, or business-critical application incidents.Perform deep-dive analysis on application issues including logs, database queries, integrations, and configurationsIdentify root cause and provide permanent solutions rather than workaroundsHandle VIP and executive escalations end-to-end until resolutionParticipate in Major Incident (MI) calls and post-incident reviews (PIR)Application Support & MaintenanceSupport Core Business Applications across environments (Prod / Non-Prod)Monitor application health, performance, and stabilityApply configuration changes, patches, and hotfixes where permittedValidate fixes and deployments from development teamsMaintain strong understanding of application architecture, data flows, and integrationsKnowledge & Continuous ImprovementCreate and maintain knowledge base (KB) articles and runbooksIdentify trends and recurring issues; proactively propose improvementsProvide technical mentoring to L1/L2 supportContribute to process improvement initiatives (ITIL best practices)Stakeholder & Vendor ManagementWork closely with:Application Development teamsInfrastructure and Database teamsThird-party vendors and support partnersBusiness users and application ownersCommunicate clearly on issue status, risks, and resolutionsRequired Technical SkillsSupporting enterprise?scale, line?of?business applicationsOperating within financial services, investment operations, or advisory environmentsManaging incidents and requests across integrated and interdependent systemsUnderstanding business processes in addition to technical functionalityCommunicating effectively with business users, technical teams, and system ownersAdhering to structured IT service management (ITSM) practices, including incident, request, and escalation managementOperational Data Store (ODS) – A centralized data repository that consolidates operational data from multiple source systems to support reporting and analytics.ACBS – A core banking and loan accounting system supporting loan servicing, financial transactions, and portfolio management.Investran – An investment and fund accounting platform supporting private equity and fund?related operations, including capital calls, distributions, and investor reporting.Enterprise Reporting Platforms– Used to deliver standard and ad?hoc operational and management reports to internal and external stakeholders.Soft SkillsExcellent analytical and problem-solving skillsStrong verbal and written communicationAbility to explain complex technical issues to non-technical usersHigh ownership, accountability, and customer focusAbility to work under pressure during major incidentsEducation & ExperienceBachelor’s degree in computer science, IT, or related field or equivalent practical experience5–8+ years of IT Application Support experienceProven experience handling L3 escalations and root cause analysis