Studies of the interaction between professional and academic staff in leadership in higher education institutions have focused on distributed leadership. Whilst such studies have considered the leadership of the whole university, aspects of this model also apply to the relationship between programme leaders and administrators. This paper aims to explore the usefulness of this model in leadership of professional doctorates. The study is an exploratory one, reporting on the reflections of how one programme is managed through the eyes of the programme leader and lead administrator. The results provide evidence for the usefulness of this model in understanding the working relationships between programme leaders and administrators. We also show that a long-term appointment in the role of programme administrator is vital in ensuring a good student experience. This is linked both to general good practice of programme administration and to the unique characteristics of professional doctorate students.