An operator $T$ is called a 3-isometry if there exists operators $B_1(T^*,T)$ and $B_2(T^*,T)$ such that [Q(n)=T^{*n}T^n=1+nB_1(T^*,T)+n^2 B_2(T^*,T)] for all natural numbers $n$. An operator $J$ is a Jordan operator of order $2$ if $J=U+N$ where $U$ is unitary, $N$ is nilpotent order $2$, and $U$ and $N$ commute. An easy computation shows that $J$ is a $3$-isometry and that the restriction of $J$ to an invariant subspace is also a $3$-isometry. Those $3$-isometries which are the restriction of a Jordan operator to an invariant subspace can be identified, using the theory of completely positive maps, in terms of a positivity condition on the operator pencil $Q(s).$ In this article, we establish the analogous result in the multi-variable setting and show, by modifying an example of Choi, that an additional hypothesis is necessary. Lastly we discuss the joint spectrum of sub-Jordan tuples and derive results for 3-symmetric operators as a corollary.
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