Pete Waterman, a seasoned technology expert with extensive experience in both the public and private sectors, has been named the new Director of the Federal Risk Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP). Waterman, who previously served as an engineer with the U.S. Digital Service (USDS) and as an advisor for the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF), steps into a role that has been without a permanent director since January 2021.
FedRAMP, a crucial federal program responsible for ensuring the security of cloud services used by government agencies, has been without a permanent leader for over three years. Waterman’s appointment marks a significant step forward for the program, which plays a key role in the government’s broader efforts to modernize IT infrastructure and adopt secure cloud solutions.
This will be Waterman’s third stint in federal service, bringing with him a wealth of experience in driving technological innovation and security across various government agencies. He first joined the federal workforce in 2019 as a staff engineer at USDS, where he was instrumental in helping agencies develop and implement modern engineering, product, and design practices. His work at USDS focused on policy development and architecture that supported the adoption of cutting-edge technologies within the federal government.
In September 2022, Waterman transitioned to the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF), where he served as a senior technical advisor. In this role, he provided strategic guidance to executives, policy experts, and project leads, particularly in the areas of cloud services and zero trust architecture—both of which are critical to the success of federal modernization projects.
Before his federal service, Waterman spent 20 years in the private sector, where he led teams in delivering commercial cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) products, machine learning platforms, and automated data center management systems. His extensive background in these areas makes him particularly well-suited to lead FedRAMP as it continues to evolve and meet the growing demands of federal cloud security.