Kuala Lumpur About Horizontal: Established since 2003 in the US, Horizontal solves complex challenges across two distinct businesses: Horizontal Digital and Horizontal Talent. We are consistently recognized for being a top workplace and one of the fastest-growing private companies. Horizontal Talent specializes in staffing for IT, Digital & Creative, and Business & Strategy markets. We have global offices in the US, UAE, India, Malaysia and Australia. Job Summary We are seeking an experienced L1 Application Helpdesk Team Lead to manage and oversee a 24 7 application support team providing first-line assistance to users in the North America region. The Team Lead will be responsible for team management, service delivery oversight, SLA performance, escalation handling, and operational reporting , ensuring high-quality support and continuous service improvement. Key Responsibilities Team & Shift Management Lead, supervise, and motivate a 24 7 L1 Application Helpdesk team. Manage shift schedules, rotation planning, attendance, and manpower allocation to ensure continuous coverage. Conduct daily team briefings, assign tasks, and monitor real-time service performance. Service Delivery & Escalation Management Oversee daily incident and request management for North America users, focusing on application support. Handle complex escalations, critical incidents, and high-priority cases requiring leadership intervention. Act as the primary escalation point between the L1 team, L2/L3 support teams, and internal stakeholders. Quality, KPIs & Reporting Monitor team performance against SLA and helpdesk KPIs such as response time, FCR, ticket closure rate, and CSAT. Analyze service data to identify trends, operational gaps, and improvement opportunities. Prepare weekly and monthly operational reports for management review. Conduct performance reviews, coaching sessions, and KPI evaluations for team members. Utilize Excel for data analysis and PowerPoint for reporting and presentations. Process & Knowledge Management Maintain and optimize Helpdesk SOPs, workflows, and escalation processes. Manage and maintain the knowledge base, ensuring articles remain accurate and up to date. Drive continuous service improvement initiatives to improve efficiency and reduce recurring incidents. Training & Team Development Provide onboarding, training, and mentorship for new and existing team members. Conduct regular training sessions on applications, support tools, communication practices, and SLA compliance. Stakeholder Communication Maintain strong communication with internal teams, management, and client stakeholders. Provide service updates, operational reports, and improvement recommendations. Manage user complaints or sensitive support cases with professionalism and timely resolution. Note: This role focuses solely on application-level support leadership and does not include hardware, operating system, or EUC support responsibilities . Key Requirements Language Fluent in English and Mandarin (spoken and written) Mandarin is mandatory. Experience 2-4 years of Helpdesk / Service Desk experience, with at least 1-2 years in a Team Lead or Supervisor role. Strong experience working in 24 7 IT service desk environments with shift management responsibilities. Tool Knowledge Experience with one or more of the following tools is preferred: ServiceNow Landesk Zoho MSP Zendesk Freshservice Jira Service Management BMC Remedy Application Support Background Experience Supporting Enterprise Business Applications Such As SAP / ERP systems Microsoft Office 365 Outlook and SharePoint Internal HR, finance, or enterprise business applications Leadership & Management Skills Proven experience in team management, shift scheduling, performance coaching, and KPI monitoring. Ability to analyze operational data and generate structured reports. Experience managing knowledge bases, process improvements, and SOP documentation. Proficiency in Microsoft Excel (data analysis) and PowerPoint (reporting and presentations). Soft Skills Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills. Strong leadership, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities. Proactive attitude with the ability to work in a fast-paced global support environment. Shift Requirement Comfortable working in a 24 7 shift environment, including night shifts and on-call responsibilities. The above description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.