A member of the Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland, she was elected to a seat in the National Council in 2007, serving until 2018.

As a member of the National Council, Schmid-Federer spearheaded family policy and children's safety initiatives, including public breastfeeding and cyberbullying prevention in her platforms.

[3] She is the great-great granddaughter of the politician Josef Zemp, who was the first member of a conservative party to be elected to the Federal Council of Switzerland and later served as Swiss President.

[3][6] From 1994 to 1997, she served as an assistant to the President of ETH Zurich, later taking over the management of the Dual Career Advice Office from 1998 to 2002.

[9] She later assumed the role of Vice President of Pro Juventute, due to her presidential nomination at the Swiss Red Cross.

She has also served as a member of the advisory board of the Engelberg Sports School and of the Swiss Police IT Congress.

[13] Schmid-Federer is married to Lorenz Schmid, a CVP politician who sat on the Cantonal Council of Zürich until 2022.