Vice President - Primary Investments
About the job
- The candidate must have investing work experience and a record of success at a top institution focused on technology investments in primary private investments, secondaries, or direct investments.
- Native-level Japanese and strong English language skills are required.
- The candidate must have 6–8 years of investing analysis and due diligence experience; candidates with 4–6 years and strong potential may be considered for a Senior Associate role.
- The candidate must have experience investing in the Japan market through fund investments, co-investments, or secondaries.
- The candidate must be able to elicit, in an informed, challenging, and effective manner, the critical variables that determine an investment’s financial success or failure.
- The candidate must have strong modeling, organizational, and writing skills.
- The candidate must have a deep understanding of trends and issues in the private equity industry and venture sector, particularly technology, in Japan and Asia.
- The candidate must be able to synthesize complex data clearly.
- The candidate must have a professional presence and relationship skills to interact effectively with clients, general partners, and colleagues at all levels in Japanese and English.
- The candidate must be able to work independently within a highly integrated global team.
- The candidate must be willing to establish a position and have confidence in their convictions regarding investment decisions.
- The candidate must desire to build a career in private capital investing.
- The candidate must be willing to travel domestically and internationally.
- The candidate must be able to manage a wide range of responsibilities in a global, fast-paced, collaborative, high-performing team environment.
- Meet with general partner groups to evaluate potential investment opportunities, focusing on the Japan market.
- Conduct market research on investment sectors and themes.
- Lead and conduct due diligence, identifying key investment merits and considerations through qualitative and quantitative analysis, meetings with fund managers, strategy review, reference checks, and on-site visits.
- Perform due diligence on co-investments and secondary transactions.
- Prepare memoranda and participate in investment discussions with the internal investment committee.
- Work with counsel to negotiate partnership terms and coordinate the closing process.
- Support the construction and evaluation of fund portfolios.
- Provide market intelligence and thought leadership on investment and industry trends, focusing on the Japan market.
- Help author internal and external research and thought pieces.
- Mentor and manage junior team members.
- Attend annual meetings.
- Review quarterly reports and related materials.
- Document compliance with investment guidelines.
- Monitor the investment forward pipeline and allocation planning.
- Support the firm’s marketing efforts through new-business presentations to potential clients and consultants.
- Market the firm’s capabilities to market participants to generate co-investment and secondary deal flow.
- Support investor relationships for existing investments.
- Support firm initiatives related to the firm’s business plans.
- Contribute to Adams Street’s culture and thought leadership.
- Prior fund experience is preferred, though not required; broader investment experience will be considered.
- An MBA or similar advanced degree is preferred but not required.
About the company
Adams Street Partners manages private markets investments for institutional clients worldwide, with over $65 billion in assets under management. It offers five core strategies: Primary Investments (buyout, venture capital, and growth funds), Secondary Investments, Co-investments, Growth Equity, and Private Credit, plus customized solutions and evergreen funds. The firm uses an integrated global platform and proprietary data from tracking over 34,100 companies and relationships with hundreds of global general partners to guide investment decisions. It is fully employee-owned, with a history dating back to 1972, and focuses on providing broad access to private markets through a mix of funds, co-investments, and direct investments.
Company Size
201-500
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
$13B
Headquarters
Chicago, Illinois
Founded
1972
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Adams Street raised over $5 billion for its latest secondaries program in August 2026.
- Alec Kersman joined September 14, 2026 to strengthen global client coverage and product strategy.
- The August 2026 Chicago HQ move to 120 South Riverside Plaza signals growth and commitment.
What critics are saying
- Kevin O'Donnell retires end-2026, risking investor-relationship disruption during a leadership transition.
- July 2026 AUM methodology change complicates comparisons and can mask organic slowdown.
- Private markets allocators are shifting to cheaper in-house direct and secondary teams, pressuring fees by 2027.
What makes Adams Street Partners unique
- 100% employee-owned, Adams Street avoids outside owner conflicts and alignment drift.
- Its integrated platform spans primaries, secondaries, co-investments, growth equity, and private credit.
- Proprietary data from 34,100 companies sharpens underwriting across long-lived GP relationships.
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Benefits
Hybrid Work Options
Professional Development Budget
Company News
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Adams Street Partners, a private markets firm with more than $76 billion in assets under management, has launched the Adams Street Venture & Growth Fund (AVNGR), an evergreen fund that gives qualified clients ongoing access to venture capital. The fund starts with $363.5 million in net assets from anchor investors. It will be widely available from December 1, 2026, on all major custodian platforms. AVNGR invests mainly in secondaries and venture growth co-investments. It takes monthly subscriptions, with all capital funded up front and no capital calls, and plans quarterly repurchase offers to provide liquidity. "Venture investing has been core to Adams Street's platform for decades," said Mike Lucarelli, partner in wealth management at the firm.
Adams Street names Rina Kozlowski Partner & Head of Human Resources. Oct 05, 2026 Experienced global human resources executive to lead talent strategy, organizational development, and culture. CHICAGO, IL - October 5, 2026 - Adams Street Partners, LLC ("Adams Street"), a leading private markets investment management firm with more than $76 billion of assets under management,* announced today that Rina Kozlowski will join the firm as Partner & Head of Human Resources, effective October 1, 2026. Based in Chicago, Kozlowski will lead Adams Street's global Human Resources function, including talent strategy, talent acquisition, organizational development, compensation, and benefits, and will serve on the firm's Operating Committee. The appointment supports Adams Street's continued growth as the firm broadens its global platform and invests in the talent, culture, and organizational capabilities needed to serve a growing and increasingly diverse client base. "Rina is an accomplished human resources leader with deep experience building high-performing teams and strong cultures inside complex, fast-growing organizations," said Mike Kurlander, Partner & Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer at Adams Street. "Her strategic perspective, her focus on developing talent, and her track record partnering with senior leadership make her an excellent fit for Adams Street. As we continue to grow our platform, Rina will play an important role in ensuring our talent strategy supports our continued growth." Kozlowski joins Adams Street from Citadel, where she spent nearly a decade, most recently as Head of People for Quantitative Strategies, advising senior leadership on talent, culture, and organizational strategy for a global team. Earlier in her career, she held HR leadership roles at KCG Holdings (formerly GETCO and Knight Capital), McKinsey & Company, and Bain & Company. "I have long admired Adams Street's collaborative, people-first culture and its reputation for developing world-class talent," said Kozlowski. "I am excited to join the team and to partner with leadership across the firm to build on that strong foundation as Adams Street continues to grow globally." Kozlowski succeeds Carolyn Flanagan, Senior Partner, who will retire at the end of 2026 following 20 years of leadership at Adams Street. Flanagan will remain actively engaged through year-end to support a seamless transition. "Carolyn has made significant contributions to Adams Street and to our culture over the past two decades," said Jeff Diehl, Managing Partner & Head of Investments at Adams Street. "We are grateful for her leadership, partnership, and dedication to our people, and we appreciate her continued support through this transition." About Adams Street Partners. Adams Street is a global investment firm managing a comprehensive suite of private markets investment solutions. The firm provides private equity and private credit strategies to institutional investors, growth capital to innovative companies, and evergreen funds that offer access to multiple strategies through a single, investor-friendly commitment. The firm also supports wealth advisors with private markets solutions structured to be more flexible and accessible than traditional closed-end funds. With over 50 years of experience, Adams Street leverages deep market insights, global relationships, and proprietary data as it seeks to help investors achieve long-term investment goals. The firm is 100% employee-owned, manages $76 billion in assets, and operates out of 15 offices globally. Visit www.adamsstreetpartners.com. Media Inquiries Rich Myers / Rachel Goun Profile Advisors +1 347 343 2999 [email protected] * Adams Street Partners' methodology to calculate Assets Under Management (AUM) is based on fund net asset value (NAV), plus unfunded commitments, plus leverage, but excluding the effect of subscription lines of credit. The prior AUM methodology was based on investor commitments minus commitments to fully liquidated underlying partnerships. Such change in methodology was effective July 2026; however, for periods shown prior to December 31, 2025, Adams Street continues to use the previous methodology. This updated methodology more closely aligns with (i) the amount of assets managed on behalf of investors and (ii) the amount of capital available to make direct and/or partnership investments. Amounts stated by investment advisers in regulatory filings ("regulatory AUM") have a prescribed methodology, which may, in some circumstances, differ from the methodology such adviser uses for other purposes, including marketing efforts. Additional information is available upon request.
Homeward, a US startup that helps homeowners buy before selling their existing homes or get cash offers for their properties, has raised $120 million in Series D funding. The company enables homeowners to access cash before completing a sale, allowing them to make offers on new properties without the typical constraints of timing their purchase with their sale. Homeward's service addresses challenges in the housing market, particularly when property sales slow down. The startup uses artificial intelligence to accelerate its underwriting process, making it faster to evaluate and approve transactions. The funding round comes as the housing market faces headwinds, with many homeowners choosing to stay put rather than move.
Adams Street names partner for venture secondaries. Adams Street Partners hired Justine Huang Burns as a partner to expand its venture capital secondaries investment capabilities. Get the whole story. AW Monthly $39 / Month - Instantly unlock all new and archived articles - Access to AW Research articles & data - Daily, weekly and monthly e-mail newsletters $390 / Year - Everything in Monthly at a 20% discount - Access to AW Research data downloads and annual Manager/Investor Compendiums - Discounts on advertisement rates