With Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral being held Monday, De Zerbi will not be formally introduced to the media until Tuesday afternoon.
"Roberto has shown his undoubted ability with his work in Italy and Ukraine, and what he achieved at Sassuolo certainly stands out," technical director David Weir said. "In his short spell with Shakhtar he enjoyed further success, leading the club to cup success and topping the Ukrainian league before the war brought an abrupt halt to his time there."
Brighton is fourth in the Premier League standings after a strong start under Potter, who was hired to replace the fired Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea.