Paul Schnabel was director at The Netherlands Institute for Social Research (SCP) from 1998 to 2013. Schnabel was already professor of Social and Cultural Policy at Utrecht University before his appointment as university professor. Schnabel was, among other things, dean of the Netherlands School of Public Health, professor of Clinical Psychology in Utrecht and head of research at the Netherlands Centre for Mental Health.

Earlier, Schnabel studied Sociology in Utrecht and Bielefeld, and obtained his PhD in Rotterdam. Schnabel is a member of many advisory committees and is an active columnist in NRC Handelsblad and Het Financiële Dagblad, among others.