Senior Executive Service Reform Act of 2012

[AI summary unavailable — showing source text] Senior Executive Service Reform Act of 2012 - Amends provisions of federal law relating to the Senior Executive Service (SES) to: (1) reduce from 25% to 15% the number of SES positions at the start of each fiscal year that may be filled by noncareer appointees; (2) require the head of each federal agency to create a position of assistant secretary for administration or management and appoint a career SES employee to fill such position; and (3) require agency heads to appoint career SES employees to positions with direct responsibility for agency-wide functions in acquisition, information technology, and human resources. Requires each federal agency to: (1) evaluate any SES position that becomes vacant to determine the skills and qualifications necessary for the position, (2) ensure that vacant positions are open for a reasonable period of time and that application requirements are streamlined, (3) ensure that applicants for a vacant position receive timely notification of the status of their application, and (4) take steps to strengthen candidate development programs to prepare aspiring leaders for the SES. Prohibits the use of quotas or forced distribution of ratings for performan…