Senior Mechanical Engineer – Automotive Wheel Protection Product Anyone

We are developing a new exact-fit protective accessory for OEM automotive wheels and are seeking a senior mechanical product-development engineer to lead the initial feasibility and architecture work.

This is not primarily a CAD, rendering, or industrial-design project. The core challenge is mechanical retention and manufacturability.

The product is intended to protect the curb-exposed outer perimeter of an OEM aluminum wheel. It should be removable and replaceable, visually integrated with the wheel, and ideally attach directly to the wheel without relying primarily on the tire for retention.

The eventual product must be suitable for scalable injection molding and adaptable across multiple OEM wheel geometries.

Initial Engagement

We are starting with one OEM wheel and want the engineer to develop and evaluate multiple technically distinct retention concepts before proceeding to detailed product development.

Expected initial scope: approximately 15–30 engineering hours.

Phase 1 Deliverables

The engineer should:

* Review the target OEM wheel geometry and product requirements.
* Advise on the appropriate 3D scanning / reverse-engineering process.
* Identify potential mechanical attachment and retention points.
* Develop at least 3 conceptually different retention architectures.
* Evaluate those concepts for:

* highway-speed rotational loading
* vibration and fatigue
* curb-impact behavior
* installation and removal
* tolerance variation between OEM wheels
* risk of scratching or damaging painted, machined, or coated wheel surfaces
* thermal and environmental durability
* injection-molding feasibility
* expected manufacturing complexity and cost
* scalability across additional OEM wheel designs
* Recommend suitable materials/polymers.
* Identify likely failure modes.
* Recommend a prototype and validation plan.
* Recommend the architecture that provides the best combination of performance, manufacturability, aesthetics, and scalability.

If Phase 1 is successful, the engagement may expand into detailed CAD, prototype development, testing, DFM, tooling support, and additional OEM wheel fitments.

Key Product Objectives

The eventual product should ideally:

* Be engineered specifically for an OEM wheel geometry.
* Install without wheel or tire removal.
* Avoid depending primarily on tire geometry for retention.
* Remain secure during highway-speed use.
* Avoid damaging the underlying wheel.
* Protect the curb-exposed rim edge.
* Be easily replaceable after damage.
* Have an OEM-quality appearance.
* Be suitable for high-volume injection molding.
* Minimize the amount of unique tooling required for each additional wheel fitment.
* Ship in a reasonably compact package.

A key engineering question is whether a modular architecture can be created where much of the product is common across applications and only a smaller interface or component changes for each specific OEM wheel.

Ideal Background

Strong candidates should have meaningful experience in several of the following:

* automotive product development
* automotive plastic components
* clips, snap fits, latches, fastening or retention mechanisms
* injection-molded plastics
* DFM / DFA
* GD&T and tolerance-stack analysis
* DFMEA
* 3D scanning / reverse engineering
* rapid prototyping
* polymer/material selection
* FEA / structural analysis
* product validation and testing
* production tooling

Experience with automotive OEMs, Tier-1 suppliers, fastening systems, exterior trim, wheel-related components, or aftermarket automotive products is particularly relevant.

When Applying

Please provide:

1. A short summary of your relevant experience.
2. Two or three examples of products or components you personally engineered.
3. Your experience with automotive plastics and injection molding.
4. Your experience designing clips, snap fits, latches, or other retention mechanisms.
5. Whether you have personally taken a physical product from concept through prototype and production tooling.
6. CAD/CAE software you use.
7. Your hourly rate or fixed-fee estimate for Phase 1.
8. Your availability.

Please also briefly answer:

**How would you initially approach designing a removable protective component that mounts directly to an OEM aluminum wheel, does not rely primarily on the tire for retention, and must remain secure under highway-speed rotational loading?**

We are primarily interested in your engineering thought process rather than a finished design.

### Confidentiality / IP

An NDA will be required before confidential technical details are shared.

All project-specific CAD, drawings, designs, inventions, prototypes, and other work product created under the engagement must be assigned to and owned by the client.

Budget: $2,500–$5,000 fixed price for Phase 1 feasibility and architecture read less