ThroughLine builds the infrastructure that connects people to support for mental distress and online harm. We operate the world's largest verified directory of crisis services, 1,500+ of them across almost 180 countries, and that network powers crisis support inside Google, ChatGPT, Roblox, Pinterest and more. 

We've learnt that most people don't get help because the system is fragmented and reaching out is scary, especially if it’s your first time ever doing it.
FirstStep, our AI care navigation platform, is used to create support experiences where a person can start with their story, be understood, and be guided to a next step they'll actually take, with real-time risk monitoring throughout. 

Online platforms deploy it inside their products. Helplines, community organisations and public services deploy it as their front door. Our goal is the same either way: make the right help the easiest to reach. 

We're working on some of the hardest problems at the intersection of mental health, online safety and AI. We move fast and we trust our people, so you'll have real autonomy from day one, on a team that's genuinely diverse because the people we serve are. 

The role

We're looking for a Clinical AI Specialist to be the clinical face of ThroughLine for our customers and partners, making sure the AI support experiences we build are clinically safe, ethical and effective for people in distress.

You'll work with customers to design AI conversation flows in FirstStep, our no-code care navigation platform, that serve their goals and help the person on the other end. You'll keep refining those flows as customers' needs change.
You'll do this with the clinical credibility to earn trust with sophisticated customers and the technical fluency to build and explain AI-powered experiences.

This work matters because of scale. A full clinical caseload reaches maybe 30 to 35 people a week. What you build here can reach millions.

Why this role exists

FirstStep helps a person start with their story, be understood, and be guided to a next step they'll actually take, with real-time risk monitoring throughout. Online platforms deploy it inside their products. Helplines, community organisations and public services deploy it as their front door.

The need is enormous. OpenAI estimates more than 1.2 million ChatGPT users a week send messages showing signs of suicidal planning, and over 90% of people shown a helpline never contact it.

Right now, every customer demo and every customer build runs through the lead of our clinical team. This role exists to change that. You'll own the tailored, white-glove clinical build for each new customer, and over time you'll take on demos and pre-sale work too. When engineering says the product works, you're the clinical voice who can say it's safe.

What you'll do

• Own customer builds from early pilot and scoping through to launch and beyond. You'll translate each customer's needs into structured conversation flows in FirstStep, then maintain and refine them after launch.
• Build with AI every day. Much of your week is spent designing conversations using a mix of hands-on building and an AI helper, with Claude Code as your day-to-day assistant.
• Be the primary clinical point of contact for customers. Lead workshops and walkthroughs with trust and safety teams and their clinicians, understand what they need, and iterate until it's right.
• Translate clinical knowledge into clear, accessible language for non-clinical stakeholders.
• Pair with our forward-deployed engineer on anything that needs engineering. Work with the clinical team to make sure every build is safe, evidence-informed and consistent with ThroughLine's clinical standards.
• Run product demos with prospective customers, lead the clinical conversation that follows, and feed customer insights back to shape the product.

What this isn't…

• A therapy or counselling role. You won't be providing therapy or crisis counselling, but your clinical background is what makes the AI support experiences you build effective for people in distress.
• A sales role. You're not responsible for closing deals, but you will interface with customers almost daily.
• An advisory role. You're building things. You need to be comfortable working in an AI-powered platform, explaining what you've built, and iterating quickly based on feedback.

What You'll Bring

• Master’s degree or higher in clinical psychology, counselling, or a related clinical field
• Clinical practice experience — you understand what good support looks like in practice, and that judgement underpins everything you build
• A strong understanding of structured, brief intervention models — you know how to design interactions that are goal-directed, bounded, and effective within a limited number of exchanges
• Strong consultative communication skills — you’re comfortable leading regular meetings with external partners, managing expectations, and building trust over time
• Comfort building with AI tools — you’ve used AI in your work, you understand how conversational AI experiences are structured, and you can explain what you’re building to people who aren’t technical
• An eye for conversation flow — you can take a customer’s clinical goals and translate them into a structured, bounded interaction that actually works
• Attention to detail — implementation work rewards people who notice when something is slightly off and care enough to fix it
• Startup readiness — things evolve quickly and your role will too. That excites rather than unsettles you

Bonus: Experience in online harms support, digital health, customer success, or clinical consulting 

What we offer

The best benefit: your team

Your manager is a clinical psychologist who codes in Python and thinks in systems, and you’ll work closely with our growing clinical team. Cross-functional collaboration with product and engineering happens daily. Every conversation here raises your bar.

Our culture

• We’ve all experienced times when we needed help. That’s why we care deeply about this work
• We move fast but sustainably (no burnout culture here)
• We’re collaborative and non-hierarchical. Good ideas matter more than tenure
• We work with care and urgency because people rely on us on their worst days
• We start every week with a genuine personal check-in and end on Fridays with a check-out with a rotating leader
• We’re technology realists who believe human ingenuity should be focused on reducing suffering 

Our benefits

• Mission that matters: your work shapes how the world's largest platforms and the services people turn to in distress actually support them
• Competitive salary + meaningful equity: everyone shares in the financial upside
• Hybrid flexibility: 2 days/week in our Auckland office
• Supportive team: we bring our full selves and genuinely care about each other
• Visa support: we sponsor exceptional global talent 

You shouldn't choose us if…

• You’re not energised by external relationships. This role lives at the customer interface — if working closely with partners isn’t something you enjoy, this isn’t the right fit. 
• You want a specialised role with clear boundaries. We’re small and early, which means no “that’s not my job.” 
• Ambiguity unsettles you. We’re still figuring things out, which means incomplete information and unexpected changes. We’re not a fit for everyone, and that’s okay 

We're not a fit for everyone – and that's okay.

At ThroughLine, we serve people across all genders, ethnicities, racial and religious backgrounds. We want our team to reflect this too. As an equal opportunity employer, we welcome all applicants. We especially encourage candidates from underrepresented communities to apply.