The journey from Engineering Manager to Director: Leading at Vinted

Scale changes everything – not just in systems, but in how we lead. Moving from an Engineering Manager to a Director of Engineering isn’t a simple step up the ladder; it’s a chance to expand your reach and evolve your mindset. It’s the shift from leading teams that deliver key outcomes to enabling entire domains of leaders to guide a platform that connects millions and keeps growing fast. All while driving our mission: making second-hand the first choice worldwide.

In this interview, Karolis Žilinskas, Director of Engineering, shares how he made that leap: what inspired him, how he prepared, and the lessons he’s learned about leadership, strategy, and sustainable evolution along the way.

When an idea becomes a leadership journey

The shift to Director didn’t come from chasing titles, but from following an idea that refused to fade. “I had an idea about building an identity platform: how it could work, how it would fit within our organisational design, and how it could strengthen our overall security posture…I began exploring it, talking to people across the company, and shaping how it could become a key enabler for Vinted.”

That journey of exploration soon became something bigger than a side project. As the idea evolved, Karolis realised that to make it real, to drive it at a company-wide level, he needed to take on a broader role. Stepping into the Director position became a natural progression, allowing him to turn that vision into reality and bring multiple teams together behind it.

Defining the moment  

The recognition that he was ready to lead came gradually. “The realisation came when I started to clearly understand what my manager was doing – not just observing, but imagining how I’d approach things differently and what I’d improve. I began taking on stretch tasks that mirrored those responsibilities to test myself. Once I was comfortable operating at that level and still felt hungry for more, I knew it was time to take the next step.”

But readiness was about more than confidence; it required preparation. Karolis invested time in learning from mentors and peers whose leadership styles he admired. The combination of curiosity, feedback, and self-awareness made the transition smoother and helped him enter the Director role with clarity and purpose.

The shift in scope

At Vinted, the role of a Director of Engineering is defined less by control and more by context. “As an Engineering Manager, I focused on my team…their development, focus, and delivery. As a Director, the scale multiplies. My attention goes to the health of an entire domain, collaboration between teams, and whether our processes and practices are setting up everyone for long-term success.”  

His work now involves shaping how Vinted plans, decides, and executes across engineering as a whole. Instead of optimising locally, he looks at how systems enable others to deliver, learn, and succeed sustainably.

Leadership built on care and clarity

Karolis’s leadership philosophy is straightforward: results matter, but they depend on a healthy, motivated team. He focuses on creating an environment where people are clear on priorities, supported in their work, and confident to make decisions.

Turning strategy into action

One of Karolis’s proudest achievements reflects how strategic leadership works at Vinted: turning alignment into real results. “The topic of centralised bot management had been discussed many times, but it never quite moved forward. Different domains saw it differently. I worked to align those perspectives…to define the shared problem, the risks, and the opportunity.”  

What started as a recurring discussion became a company-wide initiative. Karolis and his team secured support to create a dedicated group for managing automation risks, a shift that now strengthens the resilience and scalability of Vinted’s platform. It’s a clear example of how deliberate planning and persistence can turn a difficult problem into meaningful, lasting change.

Challenges worth having

Leading at scale means knowing when to let go of what’s working. That, Karolis admits, is one of the hardest parts. In a rapidly expanding company, systems have to evolve constantly, and what was reliable last year might limit progress the next. It’s a continuous balance between maintaining stability and having the courage to rethink.

He leans on collaboration when change feels tough. “What’s helped me most is staying deeply connected to the work that excites me…in my case, security. When you genuinely care about the problem space, the hard parts of leadership become easier to navigate because you’re driven by purpose, not just responsibility.”

He’s also quick to point out that being in charge doesn’t mean doing it alone. “At the Director level, you simply can’t do it on your own. I’ve learned to actively lean on my domain leadership team, my Director peers, and senior colleagues. Knowing when to ask for help – and creating a culture where that’s normal – has been one of the biggest enablers of success.”

Empowering others to lead with impact

Mentorship has become a natural part of Karolis’ work. “I bring Engineering Managers into decision-making as early as possible. The best way to learn is to see how complex decisions are made…especially the hard ones. I also try to show that I don’t have all the answers. Transparency builds trust and confidence.” 

That openness runs deeper than one-to-one guidance. Karolis helped shape peer-learning sessions within the domain leadership group, creating space for managers to discuss the real hurdles and share how they approach them. Together, they often tackle live topics such as balancing priorities or leading through uncertainty, which helps build collective ownership.

This investment in others is something Karolis sees as essential for keeping Vinted’s culture strong. “A company scales sustainably only if its leaders keep developing leaders. That’s where the real leverage happens.”

Advice for future Directors

Karolis’s advice for ambitious Engineering Managers is both practical and encouraging. He believes stepping into a Director role is more than a promotion; it’s an opportunity to expand how you make your mark and evolve how you lead. “Moving into a Director role changes how you operate completely. The influence you can have, both positive and negative, becomes much larger. In a hyper-growth environment, that growth happens to you as well, so it’s crucial to have the time, energy, and mindset to absorb it and still excel.”  

Balance, he adds, is essential. “Strong support structures, at work and at home, matter more than people think. You can’t lead effectively in isolation. And physical health is just as important; it’s not about pushing harder to do more, but making sure your energy levels can sustain the pace. Consistency and longevity come from looking after both your mind and body.”

Reflection and what’s next

Looking back, Karolis is most proud of how his thinking has evolved. Earlier in his career, he was focused on execution: solving problems directly and keeping delivery moving. Now, he approaches obstacles with a strategic lens, considering how today’s decisions will shape the business years from now.

His goal now is simple: keep evolving. “It’s easy to settle once things feel comfortable, but progress for me, like for Vinted…never stops. Every few months, I look for new opportunities that stretch me and the systems I help shape.”

Make your next step count  

Leadership at Vinted is grounded in clarity, care, and ambition done right. If you’re ready to level up from managing a team to shaping an organisation – and want to see the difference your work makes for millions of members – this could be the next chapter in your story.

Explore open Engineering Manager roles.