Java Application/Production Support

Job Description:

Application Support Engineer Lead-Java
Position Overview: An Application Support Engineer plays a crucial role in ensuring the smooth operation, performance, and availability of software applications within an organization. This role involves working closely with both technical and non-technical teams to provide technical assistance, troubleshoot issues, and offer solutions that enable users to effectively utilize the software systems. The Application Support Engineer acts as a bridge between the development team and end-users, contributing to the overall success of the company's software solutions.

A Lead Application Support Engineer assumes a leadership role within the Application Support team, responsible for overseeing the technical support operations for software applications. This role involves providing advanced technical assistance, coordinating issue resolution, mentoring junior team members, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure the reliability, performance, and user satisfaction of applications. The Lead Application Support Engineer plays a key role in driving process improvements, knowledge sharing, and effective communication within the team.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Issue Resolution: Identify, diagnose, and resolve application-related issues reported by end- users or automated monitoring systems. This may involve investigating errors, analyzing logs, and collaborating with development teams for more complex problems.
2. Technical Assistance: Provide timely and effective technical support to end-users, addressing inquiries, clarifying procedures, and guiding users through the proper use of applications. This involves clear communication and the ability to adapt explanations to the user's technical understanding.
3. Troubleshooting: Analyze application failures and performance bottlenecks, using debugging tools, logs, and monitoring systems to pinpoint root causes. Propose and implement solutions to resolve these issues promptly.
4. Documentation: Maintain detailed records of reported issues, troubleshooting steps, and solutions provided. Document known issues and create user-friendly guides for common problems to facilitate self-help for users.
5. Collaboration: Liaise between development, quality assurance, and operations teams to ensure effective communication of issues, updates, and improvements. Collaborate with developers to provide input on software quality, stability, and user experience.
6. Software Updates and Patches: Assist in deploying updates, patches, and new releases to applications while minimizing disruptions to users. Test new software versions to identify and address compatibility issues.
7. Monitoring and Alerts: Set up and manage monitoring tools to proactively identify potential application issues, performance degradation, or anomalies. Respond to alerts and take appropriate actions to prevent service outages.
8. User Training: Conduct training sessions and workshops for end-users to enhance their understanding of application functionalities, best practices, and troubleshooting methods.
9. Continuous Improvement: Provide insights and feedback from user interactions to contribute to the improvement of software features, user experience, and overall application stability.
10. Emergency Response: Participate in on-call rotations to handle critical incidents outside regular working hours, ensuring timely and effective resolution of high-priority issues.
11. Technical Leadership: Provide technical guidance and expertise to the Application Support team, assisting in complex issue resolution, troubleshooting, and driving the adoption of best practices.
12. Issue Coordination: Oversee the handling of escalated application-related issues, acting as a point of contact for critical incidents and ensuring timely resolution. Collaborate with development and operations teams to facilitate efficient problem-solving.
13. Mentorship and Training: Coach and mentor junior support engineers, fostering their professional growth by sharing knowledge, providing feedback, and guiding them through challenging technical scenarios.
14. Process Improvement: Identify opportunities to enhance support processes, streamline workflows, and implement automation to improve efficiency and reduce response times.
15. Collaboration: Work closely with development, quality assurance, and infrastructure teams to advocate for user needs, influence product improvements, and ensure seamless communication between teams.

Qualifications and Requirements:

1. Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field (or equivalent experience).
2. Proficiency in programming languages, scripting, and debugging tools.
3. Experience working with Java development and related technologies
4. Experience working with AWS related services (EC2, S3, Cloud watch, system manager, secret manager, Lambda, Glue, CFN, RDS, AWS code commit, etc.)
5. Good Understanding of Azure DevOps, Linux & Servers
6. Strong understanding of software development processes and methodologies.
7. Experience with databases, networking, and operating systems.
8. Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.
9. Effective communication and interpersonal skills.
10. Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment.
11. Adaptability to evolving technologies and changing priorities.
12. Previous experience in application support, technical support, or a related role is a plus.
13. Leadership experience and the ability to mentor and guide team members effectively.
14. Proven experience in handling critical incidents and managing high-pressure situations.
15. In-depth knowledge of software development lifecycle and methodologies.

The Lead Application Support Engineer's role requires a combination of technical expertise, leadership skills, and a commitment to delivering exceptional support services. This position is instrumental in maintaining the performance and reliability of applications while leading a team of support engineers towards operational excellence and continuous improvement.