Newsnight editor Peter Barron is to leave the corporation to become head of communications and public affairs for Google in the UK, Ireland and Benelux region.

Barron has edited the BBC's flagship news and current affairs programme for four years, and had been tipped for a promotion to a channel controller role at the corporation. Most recently, speculation mounted that he was in the running to succeed Roly Keating as controller of BBC Two.

Jasmin Buttar, Newsnight's deputy editor, will lead the programme after Barron's departure at the end of the week. He will start his new job at Google in September.

"Google is the most interesting and exciting company of my lifetime and I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to work there," said Barron. "I've enjoyed every minute of editing Newsnight and will miss the fantastic team here, and I'm hugely looking forward to this new challenge."