Building a digital bank isn't just about code – it's about building the right teams and culture that power millions of small businesses. Meet Arūnas Kareckas, Engineering Manager and Lithuania Site Lead at Tide, who's doing exactly that. In nearly two years at Tide, Arūnas has gone from being Staff Engineer and Engineering Manager, to playing a pivotal role in shaping the company’s fast-growing Lithuanian engineering centre.
Arūnas has over 15 years of experience in engineering – spanning from building portfolio management systems and developing big data and ETL platforms, to working with functional programming languages. From this, Arūnas brings a valuable mix of deep technical expertise and people-first leadership. Today, he’s focused on building a scalable fintech platform, nurturing engineering talent, and anchoring Tide’s presence in Lithuania.
Outside of work, Arūnas enjoys staying active through sports and spending quality time with his family. Whether it’s wakeboarding, snowboarding, swimming, or camping with his five-year-old, he believes in staying grounded and open to new perspectives. He brings these values – curiosity, balance, and growth – to his leadership at Tide.
We sat down with Arūnas to talk about his career journey, the challenges of growing a tech hub, and what makes Tide’s engineering culture stand out.
What drew you from building data processing platforms to leading fintech engineering teams?
I've always been very passionate about tackling complex technical challenges. Over the years, I’ve worked on data processing platforms and explored functional programming – both of which have deeply influenced how I approach technical problems. However, I eventually realised I wanted to contribute to final products that end users interact with directly. That’s what brought me to fintech and product-based companies.
I also come from a family rooted in economics and finance, so working in a space where technology meets financial systems felt like a natural step for me. Fintech offers the opportunity to create real-world impact, while solving meaningful and complex technical challenges.
How did your transition from Senior Developer to Engineering Manager shape your approach to leadership?
I didn’t set out to become a manager, it happened gradually. I started mentoring team members, facilitating architecture discussions, and taking more responsibility for cross-team coordination. Along the way, I realised I enjoyed empowering others just as much as writing code.
My leadership style is all about growth. I believe the best way to learn is by stepping outside your comfort zone, and I try to create that kind of space for my team – where people are challenged, supported, and trusted to figure things out. I don’t micromanage. Instead, I coach, unblock, and then get out of the way.
As Engineering Manager, Staff Engineer, and now Lithuania Site Lead, how do you balance technical work, people management, and building a new engineering hub?
It’s definitely a juggling act! My days span from deep technical discussions to operational reviews, hiring, and coaching. Prioritisation is crucial – there’s always a lot going on, but I try to cut through the noise and focus on what will drive the most impact.
One big change has been learning to delegate. As an engineering manager, I can’t be involved in every technical detail – but I can grow leaders, empower people to take ownership, and support them in succeeding. On the other hand, as a Site Lead, I’m focused on growing the engineering center: attracting top talent, creating the right environment for them to thrive, and keeping them motivated and happy so they can do their best work. That’s what enables me to zoom out and focus on strategic growth – for both the Lithuania hub and Tide as a whole.
What's been the most exciting technical challenge you've tackled on Tide's core banking platform?
Two in particular stand out. The first was finalising our platform migration from a monolith to microservices. This shift enabled us to build a more scalable, market-agnostic system that can be deployed across multiple markets. It was a technically complex project that required close coordination across multiple teams.
The second was leading the migration of our payment fees system to meet EU regulations on fee transparency. It was a significant challenge, requiring changes across almost all services and a major architectural shift – from collecting fees monthly after the fact, to fixing them at the point of payment approval. These are the kinds of challenges that make engineering at Tide exciting – we build systems designed to run seamlessly across multiple markets.
What makes Tide's engineering culture unique compared to other tech organisations that you know about?
Tide truly lives its core values. Our decision-making is genuinely data-driven, and our members are at the heart of everything we do. We’re constantly thinking about how a feature will improve their experience and impact their day-to-day work. We also operate as one team, with a strong culture of collaboration, knowledge sharing, and building reusable libraries that benefit all teams.
Technically, we stay laser-focused on system robustness, resilience, correct behavior, and scalability. Engineers are encouraged to consider the business impact of their work, and it’s a place where the best ideas win – no matter where they come from.
What advice would you give engineers considering joining Tide at Lithuania, especially those interested in learning and growth?
Step out of your comfort zone. That’s where the magic happens.
At Tide, you’ll be given real ownership from day one. We encourage people to explore different domains, switch teams, and learn from both successes and failures. There’s also a lot of room to grow – whether you’re on a management track, or want to go deep as an individual contributor.
On top of that, we offer competitive salaries in Lithuania, operate remote-first, and trust our people to deliver. My vision is to make the Lithuania engineering centre one of the biggest and most diverse parts of Tide. If you're excited by that, we’d love to have you onboard!
About Tide:
Tide is a leading Business Management Platform revolutionising financial management for SMEs worldwide. The comprehensive business management solution provides seamless business banking, powerful administrative tools, and customised financial services that empower entrepreneurs to streamline operations and accelerate growth.
Trusted by over 1.5 million members across the UK, India, and Germany, Tide has established itself as the go-to financial partner for small and medium-sized enterprises. By simplifying complex financial processes, Tide enables business owners to focus on what matters most— building and scaling their ventures.
Interested in being a part of Tide? Explore opportunities on our Careers Page.
