The last few years have been one of the most challenging periods in private equity since the global financial crisis. The high interest rates observed in the markets made it super expensive for investment firms to borrow money for dealmaking, while unstable financial markets made it harder for traditional exit strategies like strategic sales and going public.
However, statistics indicate that in 2024, private equity experienced a rebound, with total global dealmaking volumes growing by 22 percent from the previous year. Unfortunately, analysts aren’t sure that this momentum will last because of tighter margins and increased volatility in 2025. Because of this, hiring trends in 2025 have begun to change. PE isn’t just hiring dealmakers — the market is now hiring Artificial Intelligence (AI) specialists, like data scientists and machine learning (ML) engineers, to find new value through innovation.
The Numbers: Job Growth in PE Tech Roles (2025)
Surveys show that private equity careers are on the rise, particularly tech roles. According to PitchBook’s Q2 2025 report titled “Global PE First Look,” 60 percent of PE firms were actively investing in generative AI tools across portfolio operations. As a result, data and AI hiring in private equity went up 38 percent YoY.
The overall consensus in the market is that leveraging AI technology is what will drive results and success. In fact, in Bain & Co’s 2025 Outlook report, firms that use AI for value creation and diligence report that they’re more likely to outperform IRR targets by a whopping 16 percent.
Where the Jobs Are Growing
When you think about tech roles in PE firms and even generally, the list is endless. They can range from simple and smaller roles, like help desk technicians, to bigger roles like cybersecurity analysts and system admins. While these roles are vital to the success of PE firms, this isn’t where private equity job growth in 2025 is happening — it’s in:
AI & Data Integration for Deal Diligence
Deal or due diligence in PE is vital for assessing a target company before investment. Before the advent of AI and ML, this process was mainly conducted manually. As such, due diligence was a long and tedious process that involved data rooms, numerous spreadsheets, and lengthy reviews.
Those days are now behind us due to the emergence of advanced tools powered by AI. Within a fraction of the time that manual processes take, these tools can assess operational risks, identify patterns, and flag anomalies in target companies. But for these tools to work efficiently, they need skilled individuals to operate them. As a result, there’s increased demand for roles like AI product managers, technical business analysts, and Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) technology consultants.
Portfolio Company Optimization
After making the decision to invest in a company, PE firms need to actively work with the company to maximize its value. This usually involves actively managing its strategy, operations, and areas that drive its profitability. With the help of tools like generative AI in finance, PE firms can make this process less cumbersome and more streamlined.
For instance, gen AI can help improve efficiency in customer service, operations, and marketing. Take, for instance, AI chatbots; these tools can help improve customer service in terms of response times while reducing staff overhead. To leverage these tools for portfolio optimization may require roles like Chief Technology Officers (CTOs), transformation leads, and AI ops specialists.
Risk Modeling and Algorithm Development
Risk models in private equity are a necessity. This is especially true due to the current uncertainty in the market, due to factors such as geopolitical tensions and economic cycles — all of which affect PE markets.
Because of this, firms are now hiring data scientists and AI engineers to build predictive models for credit risk, pricing, and supply chain forecasting. Individuals in these roles need a mix of technical and financial fluency, with some roles, like quantitative developers and investment analytics developers, showing up in the PE hiring industry.
Why MRINetwork Is the Talent Partner PE Firms Trust
If you’re in the private equity business, you understand just how integral the skills you have on your team are — your talent can make or break your organization. That’s why partnering with an experienced recruiting organization is vital.
At MRINetwork, we have over 60 years of experience helping businesses across tech, finance, and engineering build high-performing teams. As such, we have the ability to bridge technical acumen with strategic fit. We understand that just because a candidate meets the job specs doesn’t mean that they’re the perfect fit — the ability to create long-term value is just as important.
Plus, our recruiters have both national and global reach, so your PE firm can scale its talent search across geographic boundaries. We ensure you get the best — even if that means looking outside the country.
Conclusion: The Modern PE Firm Hires Beyond Finance
Gone are the days when PE firms would primarily comprise dealmakers. In 2025 and the future, PE firm teams will be multidisciplinary to match the growing adoption of technologies like AI and ML.
To maintain a competitive edge in an especially fast-moving industry like PE, firms must build teams that can drive value through innovation, precision, and agility. That’s why investing in top technical talent should be at the forefront of PE firms’ strategies.
MRINetwork private equity recruiters can help you find and hire the talent your PE firm needs to succeed in a highly competitive market. Contact us today and let us help you build the dream team.
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