By profession, Pińkowski was an economist.[2] In 1971 he became a member of the central committee of the PZPR. Between 1971 and 1974 he was First Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission of the Ministerial Council.[3] Between August 1980 and February 1981, during the early years of the Solidarity movement, he served with some success as Prime Minister of Poland under the party leadership of Stanisław Kania.