He studied history and secondary education at University of St. Thomas and was on the football team his freshman year until injuries caused him to retire.

On January 11, 2010, the Seahawks announced the hiring of Pete Carroll as head coach and vice president of football operations.

In this role, he managed all aspects of the Seahawks roster and draft process while working collaboratively with Carroll in all facets of the football operations department.

In 2010, Schneider completed 284 roster transactions, including trading for running back Marshawn Lynch.

Of those on the championship roster, only Max Unger, Red Bryant, Jon Ryan, and Brandon Mebane were Seahawks prior to Schneider's arrival in Seattle.

Notable draft picks of Schneider involved in winning the Super Bowl XLVIII included Russell Wilson, Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, Byron Maxwell, K.J.

The Seahawks won their fourth NFC West title under Schneider in 2016, but were eliminated in the divisional round of the playoffs for the second straight year.

After missing the playoffs in 2021, Schneider traded franchise quarterback Russell Wilson to the Broncos for two first-round picks (used on Charles Cross and Devon Witherspoon) and two second-round picks (used on Boye Mafe and Derick Hall), and for Broncos players Drew Lock, Shelby Harris, and Noah Fant.

In the end, Schneider hired Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald as the new head coach for the Seahawks, signing him to a six-year contract.