The executive editor of The Washington Post, Sally Buzbee, will step down from her role, according to a person with knowledge of the company’s plans, a major and sudden change at one of the nation’s pre-eminent news organizations.

Matt Murray, the former editor in chief of The Wall Street Journal, will take her place, the person said.

Ms. Buzbee, 58, steered the newspaper for the last three years, a turbulent period that resulted in award-winning journalism as well as a drop in audience and an exodus of some top talent from the newsroom.

A spokeswoman for The Post did not respond to requests for comment. Ms. Buzbee and Mr. Murray also didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

Will Lewis, the chief executive of The Washington Post, has set about remaking the top ranks of the newspaper since his appointment to the job last year. In April, The Post announced the addition of Suzi Watford, a former top executive at Dow Jones, the publisher of The Wall Street Journal, as its chief strategy editor. In January, The Post named Karl Wells as its chief growth officer, a position responsible for subscription strategy, partnerships, licensing and data analytics.

At a town hall last month, Mr. Lewis updated employees on his strategy for reviving the business and revealed the extent of The Post’s financial woes, including that it lost more than $70 million in 2023 and suffered a substantial decline in audience.