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Serve where you’re needed mostSmall Business Development Teacher
Community Economic Development
Job highlights
- Gain hands-on experience in grassroots economic development in one of the world’s youngest nations.
- Strengthen your knowledge of practical business and financial concepts as you teach a wide range of audiences.
- Learn Tetum and intercultural communication skills through daily interactions.
Timor-Leste • Asia
In partnership with: Vocational training centers, women’s groups, youth centers
Get answers live — every weekday at .
Apply by
November 15, 2026Know by
January 1, 2027Depart on
June 22, 2027Duration
2 years, plus 3 months trainingAbout the project
Timor-Leste is seeking individuals with a background in business coaching, entrepreneurship, or workforce development to support small businesses.
Timor-Leste’s greatest challenge is preparing its predominantly young population with the workforce, entrepreneurship, and English skills needed to succeed in a rapidly changing economy. Since gaining independence in 2002, the country has invested in agriculture, tourism, hospitality, and small business development. Yet many rural communities still lack access to workforce training, financial literacy education, entrepreneurship support, and professional English instruction. With nearly 70% of the population under age 25, young people are eager to pursue employment and self-employment opportunities but often lack practical job skills and professional experience. Timor-Leste’s 2025 accession to Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has expanded economic opportunities while simultaneously increasing the demand for a skilled, English-proficient workforce.
As a Small Business Development Teacher, you will work closely with youth groups, entrepreneurs, and women’s groups to strengthen workforce readiness and business skills. Together, you will facilitate workshops on budgeting, business planning, digital literacy, and job readiness skills. Your collaborative efforts help expand economic opportunities for youth and strengthen community-led development.
Learn more about what Volunteers do in country by visiting our Timor-Leste project page.
Required skills
Qualified candidates will have one or more of the following criteria:
Associate degree in any field and at least two years of full-time, post-high school work experience (from any combination of roles).
OR
Bachelor's degree in any field.
OR
High school diploma or GED and four years of full-time, post-high school work (from any combination of roles).
Language: There are no pre-requisite language requirements for this position.
Required behavioral competencies
These competencies are essential for all service assignments and are assessed in the application and interview process:
Motivation for and commitment to service
Adaptability and open-mindedness
Problem solving and resourcefulness
Behavioral maturity and professionalism
Photos from Timor-Leste
How you and the community will make an impact together:
Teach basic business, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy skills.
Assist organizations with strategic planning, grant writing, and project management activities.
Support vocational and workforce readiness training for youth and young adults.
Strengthen small business bookkeeping, budgeting, and marketing practices.
Support English language learning to support employment, tourism, hospitality, and professional communication.
Collaborate with community partners on community development activities.
You may also work on additional projects that meet the community’s interests and priorities, such as developing small grant projects or supporting English conversation clubs.
Living with a Timorese host family is central to Peace Corps service in Timor‑Leste, helping Volunteers build trust, strengthen language skills, and deeply engage in community life. Volunteers are placed throughout the country—from the coast to the mountains—and live within a 15‑minute walk of their worksites. Cross-country travel is via small buses or open‑backed trucks along winding, dusty roads. While water and electricity are usually available, blackouts and brownouts are common, and some households must purchase water in the dry season.
Learn more about the living conditions, including detailed information on culture, communications, housing, and health/crime statistics on our Timor-Leste country page. You can also delve into stories about local communities by reading our blog or Volunteer stories.
Meet a Volunteer in Timor-Leste
Jade J.
English Teacher
"Throughout this past year I have built relationships with my students and grown to love them. Seeing them return that love and enthusiasm to learn has been the most enjoyable aspect of serving my community."
See full Volunteer profile
As a Small Business Development Teacher, you will receive training in community assessment, project design and management, and participatory facilitation techniques. Peace Corps/Timor-Leste will teach you Tetum to help you comfortably live in and connect with the community.
After 11 weeks of training, you will move to a rural community where you will collaborate with youth centers, vocational institutes, cooperatives, and women’s groups to assess needs and develop solutions based on a set of onboarding activities.
Only heterosexual couples can be accepted for this program. Each person must apply separately and must qualify for a position in either the same or a different sector than their partner. Couples will live together during training but may separate occasionally for field-based activities. Couples who are selected for the same sector will live together but work with different local partners which may be in the same community or in neighboring communities (not more than 30 minutes apart). Cohabitating couples are highly encouraged to present themselves as married throughout service due to cultural expectations.
To learn more about serving as a couple in Timor-Leste, visit the country page.
Application process
From application to departure takes around nine months. Learn about the application process for Volunteer opportunities.
Medical/legal clearance
You will need to be cleared medically and legally in order to serve in Timor-Leste. Review information on medical clearance and legal clearance to learn about the process.
