Hello nextpauling,
This question has way too many possibilities. The good news is that it should be fairly easy to go from a chemical background to a chemical engineering background. Since you already have a good foundation of how chemical reactions occur, it should be easy to understand the engineering side.
Back in 'the old days', chemical engineering was not a field. So, chemists performed 'all' chemical work. With specialization being strong in todays market, the bad news is that you *may* need to get your Bachelors in engineering first.
Employment opportunities strongly depend on the organization which is hiring you. So, unfortunately, I do not have this answer. You may need to check with the companies that you are looking for employment, and ask them this same question.
Take care, and I wish you the best in the future,
Eugene