David Snoxell was born on 18 November 1944, the son of Gordon and Norah Snoxell. He was educated at Bishop Vesey's Grammar School, Sutton Coldfield, taking a degree in history at Bristol University in 1966 and a postgraduate diploma in personnel management from Aston University in 1967 and becoming a member of the Institute of Personnel Management. In 1971 he married Anne Carter, having two sons and one daughter.

After working as a UNA volunteer in Senegal from 1967-68, Snoxell entered the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (UN Department) in 1969, and his diplomatic career included the following posts: FCO, Information Administration Department (1971); Islamabad [Pakistan] (1973); UK Mission to Geneva [Switzerland] (1976); FCO, Republic of Ireland Department (1981); FCO, Economic Relations Department (1983); Director, British Information Services, New York [United States] (1986); Deputy Head, Drugs and International Crime Department (1991); Deputy Head of Southern Africa Department, FCO (1994); Ambassador to Senegal, and concurrently to Mali, Guinea, Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde (1997); High Commissioner, Mauritius (2000); retired 2004.