Cooperative Business Development Mentor
Closing Date: 03 May 2026
Category: Finance & Business Support
Kia ora, Bon dia and warm Pacific greetings,
Te Whāinga | Our Purpose is
Te Hono Tangata - Te Huringa Ora.
Ka hono a Te Tūao Tāwāhi i ngā tūao pūkenga ki ngā whakahaere me ngā hapori i te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa me tua atu, hei tautoko i ngā wawata kua tautuhia ā-rohe, ā, kia tutuki ai te panoni toitū.
Connecting People – Transforming Lives.
Volunteer Service Abroad connects skilled volunteers with organisations and communities in the Pacific and beyond to support locally identified aspirations and achieve sustainable change.
Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About the role:
This is your opportunity to become a VSA Volunteer to share your experience, skills and knowledge to serve and build capacity in Timor-Leste.
We are looking for an experienced Business development manager or someone with the right level of transferrable skills, who understands and shares the spirit of volunteering, with a keen interest in building capability in the Pacific. This assignment is set to run for 12 months and would primarily be based in Dili. The VSA supports volunteers by funding and organizing flights, visas, insurances, accommodation, living allowance and utilities for the duration of a deployment.
Ngā tino Pūkenga/Wheako – Essential skills/experiences for the role:
If you are interested in this opportunity, below are some of the key skills and experiences that we’re looking for.
Secretary of State for Cooperatives (SECoop) established in 2017 the purpose of SECoop is for the cooperative movement contributing to the creation if an independent, prosperous, fair, and sustainable society. Since forming in 2017 SECoop has established more than 247 cooperatives in Timor-Leste.
SECoop’s purpose is to establish and promote an inclusive and non-discriminatory economy, improve cooperatives and create conditions for all enterprises to become key factors in socio-economic development, expand credit cooperatives as intermediaries for financial access, strengthen cooperatives, small and medium enterprises to ensure their self-reliance and grow cooperatives, micro small and medium enterprises.
The Assignment:
The overall goal of this assignment is to strengthen the capacity, sustainability, and inclusiveness of cooperatives in Timor-Leste by supporting SECoop across a number of key areas. A volunteer on this assignment would be working in capacity building, enhancing market connections, supporting the design of new ways of connecting with new demographics, reviewing system and data use, building on existing relationships with external stakeholders and general process review.
A volunteer on this assignment would be reporting directly to the Chief of Staff and Coordinator for External Cooperation and will be accountable to the Secretary of State of SECoop. On a day-to-day basis, the volunteer would predominately be working with the National Director for Cooperative Policies and Reform.
The Country – Timor-Leste:
There are 1,225,000 people living in Timor-Leste (formerly known as East Timor). Timor-Leste is one of the world's newest nations and the newest in Southeast Asia with history of colonisation and occupation.
Timor-Leste became independent in 2002, after it suffered a violent history through decades of struggle for independence from Indonesia. As a young nation, Timor-Leste is moving from a post-conflict fragile state to quickly transition as a developing resilient nation.
Me pēhea te tuku tono| How to apply:
Please apply for this opportunity through our website. For more information or if you have any questions on this assignment, you are welcome to email our recruitment team at: volunteer@vsa.org.nz. Noting that due to VSA funding requirements, our volunteers must be a NZ citizen or NZ Permanent Resident to progress further in our recruitment process.
Te Whāinga | Our Purpose is
Te Hono Tangata - Te Huringa Ora.
Ka hono a Te Tūao Tāwāhi i ngā tūao pūkenga ki ngā whakahaere me ngā hapori i te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa me tua atu, hei tautoko i ngā wawata kua tautuhia ā-rohe, ā, kia tutuki ai te panoni toitū.
Connecting People – Transforming Lives.
Volunteer Service Abroad connects skilled volunteers with organisations and communities in the Pacific and beyond to support locally identified aspirations and achieve sustainable change.
Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About the role:
This is your opportunity to become a VSA Volunteer to share your experience, skills and knowledge to serve and build capacity in Timor-Leste.
We are looking for an experienced Business development manager or someone with the right level of transferrable skills, who understands and shares the spirit of volunteering, with a keen interest in building capability in the Pacific. This assignment is set to run for 12 months and would primarily be based in Dili. The VSA supports volunteers by funding and organizing flights, visas, insurances, accommodation, living allowance and utilities for the duration of a deployment.
Ngā tino Pūkenga/Wheako – Essential skills/experiences for the role:
If you are interested in this opportunity, below are some of the key skills and experiences that we’re looking for.
- Strong knowledge of cooperative principles, governance, and business planning.
- 5-10 years of experience in financial literacy, budgeting, and income-generating activities.
- Ability to design and deliver practical training modules.
- Experience in market research, product development, and linking producers to markets.
- Understanding of value addition and branding for local products.
Secretary of State for Cooperatives (SECoop) established in 2017 the purpose of SECoop is for the cooperative movement contributing to the creation if an independent, prosperous, fair, and sustainable society. Since forming in 2017 SECoop has established more than 247 cooperatives in Timor-Leste.
SECoop’s purpose is to establish and promote an inclusive and non-discriminatory economy, improve cooperatives and create conditions for all enterprises to become key factors in socio-economic development, expand credit cooperatives as intermediaries for financial access, strengthen cooperatives, small and medium enterprises to ensure their self-reliance and grow cooperatives, micro small and medium enterprises.
The Assignment:
The overall goal of this assignment is to strengthen the capacity, sustainability, and inclusiveness of cooperatives in Timor-Leste by supporting SECoop across a number of key areas. A volunteer on this assignment would be working in capacity building, enhancing market connections, supporting the design of new ways of connecting with new demographics, reviewing system and data use, building on existing relationships with external stakeholders and general process review.
A volunteer on this assignment would be reporting directly to the Chief of Staff and Coordinator for External Cooperation and will be accountable to the Secretary of State of SECoop. On a day-to-day basis, the volunteer would predominately be working with the National Director for Cooperative Policies and Reform.
The Country – Timor-Leste:
There are 1,225,000 people living in Timor-Leste (formerly known as East Timor). Timor-Leste is one of the world's newest nations and the newest in Southeast Asia with history of colonisation and occupation.
Timor-Leste became independent in 2002, after it suffered a violent history through decades of struggle for independence from Indonesia. As a young nation, Timor-Leste is moving from a post-conflict fragile state to quickly transition as a developing resilient nation.
Me pēhea te tuku tono| How to apply:
Please apply for this opportunity through our website. For more information or if you have any questions on this assignment, you are welcome to email our recruitment team at: volunteer@vsa.org.nz. Noting that due to VSA funding requirements, our volunteers must be a NZ citizen or NZ Permanent Resident to progress further in our recruitment process.
We are looking for a volunteer with:
- Bring your Business Development knowledge and experience to Timor-Leste
- 12-month volunteer assignment based in Dili with SECoop
- Flights, accommodation, and living expenses all funded by the VSA
VSA covers flights, accommodation, insurance and some expenses. A living allowance is also provided.
Does volunteering with one of the largest and most experienced agency in international development interest you?