After completing his Doctorate, Dr. Hayes began his consulting career at Stress Engineering Services, Inc. in 2004, assisting manufacturers in product design, performance, & failure prediction. He then transitioned to failure analysis & forensic engineering, joining Engineering Systems Inc. (ESi) in 2007 as a founding member of their Atlanta, GA office. During his 10+ years at ESi, he led or participated in numerous multi-disciplinary investigations and served as an expert witness in product liability cases and insurance claims. During this time, he also co-authored "Fractography in Failure Analysis of Polymers", a Plastics Design Library publication.

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In 2017, Dr. Hayes joined ESE Carbon, a startup manufacturer of one-piece carbon fiber composite wheels. Initially, he developed the company's wheel design methodology and built out their material property database, working with independent labs and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). He served as the in-house authority for mechanics and materials related issues, including micro-mechanics models, laminate theory, stress analysis, finite element analysis, composite failure models, and damage theories. Then, as the Head of Product Development, Dr. Hayes managed laboratory and proving grounds testing and postmortem analysis of prototype wheels, introducing non-destructive test (NDT) methods to assess manufacturing quality and diagnose failure modes. He also provided support to Manufacturing to address process-related problems in lay-up, tool closure, infusion, cure, post-curing, coatings, and ancillary metallic mounting hardware. As Vice President, Head of Engineering, Dr. Hayes worked with the CEO and Business Development to interface with clients and investors. He notably served on the SAE taskforce to develop SAE J3204 "Aftermarket Composite Wheels...Test Procedures and Performance Requirements". He continues to sit on the SAE Wheel Committee and serves as a reviewer for various scientific journals. He is a co-inventor of the "E2" and "E3" wheels, a commercial truck wheel, and a 2-piece wheel for military ground vehicles -- all carbon fiber/epoxy composites.

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In his personal time, Dr. Hayes enjoys spending time with his family and relaxing at the lake. He is an avid tennis player, skier, spy novel junkie, and car enthusiast.