M&A Corporate Strategy or Private Equity Secondaries

Hi Everybody,

I am looking for advice in this Forum given a potential opportunity to join the M&A strategy team of a large publicly traded Aerospace & Defense corporation.

For background: Currently a Senior Associate at an $8bn AUM FOF private equity working on secondaries and co-investments in funds in North America. Previously an M&A banker. The work I currently do is very transactional investing out of our billion dollar fund - read up on companies and portfolios and make an investment recommendation to the IC.  

This new role would entail analyzing companies and management teams to then buyout the companies and add them to the corporation. No integration work. Focused on deal analyzing and eventually sourcing. I am drawn to the role because even though is still transactional, you get to dig deep into the companies you target and you get to own them and track them after. I feel like it is a good chance to specialize in an industry that I like. 

My fears are (1) silo-ing myself into an industry (2) Giving up faster progression and compensation (3) being in a place where people go to retire in their careers (although this company is very active doing ~5 add-ons a year)

I am looking for advice on exit opportunities. Say that I work 3 years here and then I figure out that I want a change, what options do I have? i.e. go work for corp dev for PE backed companies? go to a competitor? return to private equity on a more operational focused role?

Also looking for advice on how comp can scale up as you move up.

Is it worth giving up a partner-track job at a private equity fund that is going relatively well (with carry already accumulating) but where you are not motivated, have capped your learning curve and don't find the job that interesting anymore? For a place that would probably push me out of my comfort zone to learn, expose me more to the operations of a company (which I am craving), an industry I like and a better quality of life?

Thank you all for your help here.