![Sebastiano A.](https://leland.imgix.net/profile-photos/658365933158d476b6232b82.jpg?fit=crop&crop=faces&h=0&w=0)
Sebastiano A.
Director of Engineering @Upwork (ex-Pins, Snap, Spotify) | Mentor & Advisor
Studied at Politecnico di Milano
Works at Upwork
Available tomorrow at 4:00 PM UTC
Questions? Start chatting with this coach before you get started.
Sebastiano’s Software Engineering Qualifications
Experience level: Director
50+ people coached for Software Engineering
Experienced Engineering Leader who has led teams at multiple big product tech companies and who has mentored many lead engineers and engineering managers in growing their careers.
Sebastiano can help with:
Resume Review
Networking Strategy
Skill Building
LinkedIn Review
Salary Negotiation
Technical Interview Prep
Behavioral Interview Prep
Sebastiano also coaches for Career Development and Leadership Development. View all.
About Sebastiano
Hi there! My name is Sebastiano, and I'm an experienced engineering leader with a passion for helping others grow in their careers. I'm currently a Director of Engineering at Upwork, and over the years, I've led multiple teams at companies like Pinterest, Paypal, Snap, and Spotify in domains ranging from shopping and crypto to messaging, video creation, and ads. As a coach, I offer guidance and support to engineering managers and engineers looking to take their skills and careers to the next level. Whether you're looking to develop your leadership skills, transition to management, or navigate the complexities of the tech industry, I'm here to help. I can provide one-on-one coaching, feedback on projects and situations, and mock interviews to help you prepare for your next role. If you're looking for a coach who has been there and done that, I'd love to hear from you. Let's work together to help you achieve your goals and reach your full potential.
Why do I coach?
Coaching is a cornerstone of my professional journey and personal growth. Early in my career, I was fortunate to have mentors and coaches who profoundly impacted my understanding of leadership, technical proficiency, and the art of managing teams. Their guidance helped me navigate complex challenges, enhancing my problem-solving and emotional intelligence. This experience instilled in me a deep appreciation for the power of coaching. I coach because I've experienced firsthand the transformative effect it can have on an individual's career and life. Coaching isn't just about imparting knowledge or solving problems—it's about unlocking a person's potential to maximize their own performance. It's like helping someone to find the keys to a car they already own but haven't been able to drive yet. Throughout my career, I've faced and overcome various hurdles, from technical roadblocks to team dynamics issues. These experiences, while challenging, taught me invaluable lessons about resilience, adaptability, and the importance of continuous learning. As a coach, I aim to share these insights with others, helping them to navigate their own challenges more effectively. My goal in coaching is to help engineering leaders develop these critical skills, empowering them to lead their teams to success in a rapidly changing environment. In essence, coaching matters to me because it's a way of giving back and contributing to the growth and success of others, much like how I benefited from my mentors. It's an opportunity to positively impact the engineering community, shaping the leaders who will drive innovation and excellence in the field.
Work Experience
Director of Engineering
Upwork
May 2023 - Present
Leading the org at Upwork responsible to build the Mobile Upwork apps (iOS & Android) and the Messaging feature (Back-end & Web)
Senior Engineering Manager
March 2022 - March 2023
Leading Shopping Experience Engineering org
![PayPal Logo](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fleland.imgix.net%2Fcompanies%2FPayPal.png%3Fw%3D224%26q%3D75&w=128&q=75)
Senior Engineering Manager
PayPal
September 2020 - March 2022
Leading the Wallet and Crypto Teams
Engineering Manager
Snapchat
November 2017 - May 2020
Leading Messaging teams
Engineering Manager
Spotify
January 2014 - November 2017
Leading Ad Formats and Ad Studio teams
Sebastiano was also given offers to work at
Twitter
Lyft
Education
Mannheim Business School
Executive MBA
2021 - 2022
Politecnico di Milano
Master, Software Engineering
2004 - 2007
Thesis on Information Extraction, Information Retrieval, Text Mining (written in Java)