In an international assignment context, what term describes a local citizen managing in a multinational company?

The term that describes a local citizen managing in a multinational company is a host-country national. This designation refers to individuals who are citizens of the country in which the multinational company operates, as opposed to those who come from the company's country of origin or other countries. Host-country nationals are valuable assets to multinational companies because they possess local knowledge, cultural insights, and language skills that can enhance the company’s operations in that specific market.

In contrast, home-country nationals would be employees who come from the country where the company's headquarters are located. Third-country nationals would refer to individuals from a different country than both the home and host countries. Expatriates are individuals who travel from their home country to work in a foreign country, often for a limited period, and are not citizens of the host nation. Thus, the correct term for local citizens managing in a multinational company is indeed host-country national.