[1] From 1998 to 2000, Adams-Allen was the director of the Caribbean and Central America Action's financial services program.

In 2000, she joined the Organization of American States, serving as a senior advisor and regional manager.

In 2010, she joined the United States Agency for International Development, serving as a senior advisor for Latin America and the Caribbean and later associate deputy administrator for the same region.

[2][3] On June 3, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Adams-Allen to be the deputy administrator of USAID.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee held hearings on Adams-Allen's nomination on July 20, 2021.