Vanek began his career as an interior designer for the Czech company Svetluska in 1965, where he worked on mass-produced furniture projects for Czech households. He then worked for the design studio of the Czech national company Tatra from 1970 to 1990, where he designed cars and trucks.
Vanek has also worked as a freelance designer, collaborating with companies such as Giroflex, Girsberger and Viasit. He won several awards for his designs, including the Red Dot Design Award for his office chair in 1995.
Vanek was known for his minimalist, functional design, as well as for his ability to create designs that were both practical and aesthetically pleasing. His work has been exhibited at design shows across Europe, and has been included in the permanent collection of Prague's National Museum.