SAN FRANCISCO — In a uncommon change to Fb’s high ranks, Mike Schroepfer, the chief expertise officer and a longtime government, plans to step down from his place subsequent 12 months, the corporate stated on Wednesday.

Mr. Schroepfer, 46, who has labored at Fb for greater than 13 years, plans to transition right into a newly created position as a senior fellow, which he stated would permit him to concentrate on actions exterior the corporate. He stated he would spend extra time with household and on private philanthropic efforts whereas persevering with to recruit and develop technical expertise for Fb.

“It is a troublesome determination due to how a lot I really like Fb and the way excited I’m concerning the future we’re constructing collectively,” Mr. Schroepfer stated in a submit on his private Fb web page.

Aside from the departures of a number of high executives in 2018, Mark Zuckerberg, Fb’s chief government, has stored a good circle of lieutenants round him for years. Sheryl Sandberg, the chief working officer, has held her place since 2008.

Mr. Schroepfer’s departure was introduced as Fb faces intense scrutiny for points as assorted as poisonous speech, misinformation and privateness. The chief expertise officer, who has overseen the constructing of synthetic intelligence methods to determine and forestall violent and hateful posts from being seen on the social community, has been key to a few of its efforts to battle the issues.

“He has performed a important position in virtually every part we’ve finished,” Mr. Zuckerberg stated on Wednesday in an organization blog post.

Mr. Schroepfer shall be changed by Andrew Bosworth, one other longtime Fb worker and a detailed pal of Mr. Zuckerberg’s. Mr. Bosworth, who is best identified inside the corporate by his nickname, Boz, has labored in many alternative elements of Fb, together with growing its promoting merchandise and constructing its digital actuality and video gadgets.

Mr. Schroepfer joined Fb as a vice chairman of engineering in 2008, after leaving Mozilla, the free software program basis behind the favored Firefox internet browser. He was charged with increasing Fb’s technical expertise and its infrastructure throughout a interval of speedy development.

In 2013, Mr. Schroepfer was promoted to chief technical officer. He was requested to supervise the event of Fb’s synthetic intelligence and machine studying methods. The corporate has since developed instruments to routinely determine and take away problematic content material equivalent to posts providing the sale of medicine or firearms.

That work turned more and more necessary after the 2016 presidential election, when Fb was known as out for spreading disinformation and dangerous content material to American voters. Mr. Zuckerberg stated synthetic intelligence can be key to cleansing up Fb.

Mr. Schroepfer helped Fb recruit high machine-learning specialists from universities internationally, in addition to from opponents like Google and Microsoft. Most of the corporations started paying exorbitant sums to land as many A.I. specialists as doable.

Mr. Schroepfer additionally led the infrastructure atop which Fb rests, together with opening new information facilities and connecting applications and companies among the many firm’s so-called household of apps. That basis was essential when the coronavirus pandemic pushed folks indoors and onto their computer systems in rising numbers. Mr. Zuckerberg stated final 12 months that Fb was “simply attempting to maintain the lights on” as folks flocked to its platforms to move the time.

Some former workers stated they had been involved about Mr. Schroepfer’s departure as a result of he was broadly considered as one of many better-liked and approachable executives. He was additionally seen as a voice of motive as Fb navigated crises. Mr. Schroepfer typically held talks together with his engineering groups through which he had them vent their frustrations with damaging headlines, the previous workers stated.

“After I left FB earlier this month, many current workers requested me who might now finest be their ally on issues of societal import,” Samidh Chakrabarti, who led efforts to crack down on dangerous content material on Fb, wrote on Twitter on Wednesday. “Who was on my brief checklist each single time? Schrep. So that is certainly important.”

Sheera Frenkel contributed reporting.